countermand 1 of 2

verb

Definition of countermandnext
as in to overturn
formal to cancel (an order) especially by giving a new order Orders to blow up the bridge were countermanded.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

countermand

2 of 2

noun

1
as in veto

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in mandate

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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
  1. overturn
  2. veto
  3. mandate
  4. cancel
  5. override
  6. rule
  7. revoke
  8. overruling
Verb
  • Calls range from people accidentally slipping into the river and overturned kayaks to boating emergencies and people intentionally entering the water.
    — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • An overnight police chase in Miramar ended with a black SUV overturning into a Tesla dealership parking lot, injuring one and hospitalizing another, authorities say.
    — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of overturn
Noun
  • Bill 26-0191 changes the veto and override time requirements for the budget and other bills by providing the council more time to potentially override a mayoral veto, thus giving more power to the council.
    — Joseph Landers, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Republicans have held at least two-thirds of House and Senate seats for 14 years, giving them the ability to override a veto from the governor.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of veto
Noun
  • Yet rather than focusing on seemingly hyperbolic specs, the Hennessey team had a different mandate with the Blackbird.
    — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Then went on to demand more vaccine mandates and passports afterward anyway.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of mandate
Verb
  • Last year, Kennedy canceled 22 vaccine development projects that use mRNA technology.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • And his agency has canceled millions of dollars in funding for mRNA vaccine research.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of cancel
Noun
  • Closets, pantries and bathrooms are also strong picks because a motion sensor there almost never needs manual override.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • The override log tells you the truth long before the org chart does.
    — Maman Ibrahim, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of override
Noun
  • The State Election Board drew national attention ahead of the 2024 presidential election for passing a slate of sweeping rules that read like a wish list of election skeptics.
    — Tamar Hallerman, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The shuttering of Tibetan schools has come alongside a national tightening of rules on private schools in 2021.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of rule
Verb
  • Dissenting judges agreed, noting the law banning children at drag shows was passed amid questionable attempts by Florida officials to revoke liquor licenses from venues hosting them.
    — Ana Goni Lessan, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
  • While those surgeries were canceled, the cases made headlines several years ago, prompting a spike in people around the country revoking their organ donor registrations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 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

Browse Nearby Words

counterintelligence
countermand
countermanded
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Countermand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/countermand. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on countermand

Nglish: Translation of countermand for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All