as in contrast
something or someone that is different from another especially in a pleasing way
The warm color palette of the furniture is the perfect counterpoint to the cool walls. The acidity of the sauce works in counterpoint to the richness of the dish.
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Recent Examples of counterpoint
Pine nuts sprinkled on top give the zesty sauce a little earthy counterpoint.
—
Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 27 June 2025
Riesling is defined by its marked acidity, a perfect counterpoint to its natural sweetness and fruitiness, lending even the ripest, sweetest examples a fresh, acidic backbone.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
The sandals’ slim shape and square toe offered a refined counterpoint to the playful print, and echoed a growing number of barely-there summer silhouettes seen recently on everyone from Julianne Moore to Demi Lovato.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 22 June 2025
The tortilla had no flavor; the tostada which supposedly offers textural counterpoint — the whole idea, according to its advocates, like Times newsletter jefe Karim Doumar — was soggy.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterpoint
Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 27 June 2025
Riesling is defined by its marked acidity, a perfect counterpoint to its natural sweetness and fruitiness, lending even the ripest, sweetest examples a fresh, acidic backbone.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
The sandals’ slim shape and square toe offered a refined counterpoint to the playful print, and echoed a growing number of barely-there summer silhouettes seen recently on everyone from Julianne Moore to Demi Lovato.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 22 June 2025
The tortilla had no flavor; the tostada which supposedly offers textural counterpoint — the whole idea, according to its advocates, like Times newsletter jefe Karim Doumar — was soggy.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterpoint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterpoint
Noun
-
In contrast, not only does the UAE have a simpler tourist visa process, but it it is set to introduce a GCC Unified Visa which will enable travelers to visit Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain without needing additional paperwork.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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Mitchell, in contrast, subsumes himself into his subjects, seldom intruding on the surface of his own prose.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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That cognitive revolution was driven by genetic changes, by selecting for individuals who had the right complement of genes for higher cognition.—
Madeleine Beekman
August 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Aug. 2025
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The RiNo Made program is also a complement to the art district’s NO VACANCY program, which is another artist residency program that gives artists access to older buildings typically slated for demolition or adaptive reuse.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counterpoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterpoint. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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