COUNTERMAND Synonyms: 164 Similar and Opposite Words

countermand 1 of 2

verb

Definition of countermand

as in to overturn

formal to cancel (an order) especially by giving a new order Orders to blow up the bridge were countermanded.

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countermand

2 of 2

noun

as in veto

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as in mandate

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of countermand

Verb

Advertisement But the Secretary General cannot countermand the nations. — Mark Webber, Time, 24 July 2026 Another said Trump is countermanding the Pentagon, which had made a decision without presidential approval. — Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025 Trump’s Achilles’ heel, where his policies may yet be countermanded by the judicial branch, are his arbitrary tariffs, having their root in a delegation as broad as that for FDR’s National Recovery Administration. — George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2025 What remains will be countermanded at the next change in power, the countermander then adding his or her new round of decrees, and on and on. — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for countermand

Recent Examples of Synonyms for countermand

Verb

His appellate legal team has been aggressively searching for any and every legal avenue that would overturn the judge’s sentence, nullify the jury’s guilty verdict, or even discredit the very criminal law that Combs was prosecuted under.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
Knauss also shared photos of the devastation from the hurricane, which showed chairs overturned in the sanctuary and pools of water that damaged every corner of the facility.

— Raymond Strickland, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of overturn

Noun

Gabriel’s Law passes after long fight by Lackey Newsom’s weekend of bill signings and vetoes was far from pure bad news for Lackey, however.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
The reforms center on breaking veto-heavy decision deadlocks, bringing poorer economies into global supply chains, cracking down on unfair state subsidies and rewriting outdated 20th-century trade rules.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of veto

Noun

Many commercial leases and client contracts require proof of general liability coverage before a business can even sign, which often functions as a de facto requirement for many Kansas small businesses even without a state mandate behind it.

— Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Following last week's interest rate hike, Goolsbee was putting into perspective what to expect going forward in the Fed's tug-of-war between its dual mandate of fostering price stability and maximizing employment.

— Kevin Stankiewicz,Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of mandate

Verb

Grande’s character was killed off in the first season, and the series was canceled after two seasons.

— Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
But the show was on the air for only eight months before it was canceled earlier this year; the station cited difficulty selling ads.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of cancel

Noun

In 2017, Alabama abolished judicial override and stopped allowing judges to change juries' sentencing decision in capital cases.

— CBS News, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
The practice − called judicial override − was abolished in Alabama in 2017 but the move did not apply to old cases.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of override

Noun

Most of those steps have been blocked by various courts, in part because the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, but provides no such power to the president.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
The legislation would bring a standardized set of federal rules governing collegiate athletics.

— Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of rule

Verb

The White House barred entry to staffers from the three outlets on Saturday and revoked their press passes.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
The White House has yet to provide a legal justification for revoking the credentials of the news outlets’ correspondents.

— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of revoke

Noun

The appropriate remedy is congressional overruling of the Marquette case so as to allow the states to regulate loans to their own citizens.

— George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 11 Apr. 2026
In recent years, the court’s conservative majority overruling of major, longstanding precedents has become a defining feature of Roberts’ tenure.

— Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2025

Definition of overruling

Cite this Entry

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“Countermand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/countermand. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of countermand

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noun

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