1
as in equilibrium
a condition in which opposing forces are equal to one another
a musical piece with a counterpoise of loud and soft passages
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in offset
a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective
the happiness brought by a new baby was a timely counterpoise to the grief occasioned by a death in the family
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to offset
to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective
her overall healthiness largely counterpoised the virulence of the infection
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of counterpoise
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
What’s most remarkable about Torruella’s film is its counterpoise between the sense of raging injustice and the island’s mystic stillness.
—Amada Torruella, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2023
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
Conflicts of interest are objective situations that arise when a person’s financial interests can be counterpoised to their public responsibilities.
—Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 29 Nov. 2018
Noun
Molina, the embodiment of theatrical excellence, is perfectly cast as the rational counterpoise to Brady’s zealotry.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
What’s most remarkable about Torruella’s film is its counterpoise between the sense of raging injustice and the island’s mystic stillness.
—Amada Torruella, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2023
Verb
Indeed, the Western, that peculiarly American contribution to the world’s store of epic and saga, often depends on the tale of a defeated Confederate at large to enforce virtue, someone whose heroic individualism is counterpoised with the superficial discipline of the federal troops.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
Conflicts of interest are objective situations that arise when a person’s financial interests can be counterpoised to their public responsibilities.
—Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 29 Nov. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterpoise
Noun
-
Rather than aiming for a constant fixed equilibrium, dynamic leadership is about ongoing adjustments.—
IESE Business School,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
His ostentatious well-being is scorned by Walker, who equates equilibrium with compromise.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Debt underwriting revenue, however, was a slight offset, declining slightly due to lower leveraged finance activity.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
16 July 2025
-
At that rate, afforestation offsets would cost the 200 largest fossil fuel companies around $10.8 trillion — or roughly 11% of global GDP, according to the study.—
Hayley Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
Trump believes that instituting (or threatening to institute) tariffs is one way to correct this.—
William Z. Fox,
Baltimore Sun,
14 July 2025
-
The title was corrected in Week 4, when the record sprinted from No. 35 to No. 25.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
New York — Alpha Oumar Diallo hunches over a kitchen counter at a library café in Brooklyn, his nose hovering above a plastic container of brownie batter.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
13 July 2025
-
The erratic seventh season of Love Island USA, which concludes Sunday, offers a counter (somewhat) to the form.—
Aisha Harris,
NPR,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
This productivity step-change neutralizes a historical advantage of mega-firms.—
Noah Ohrner,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
Foods like apples, leafy greens, yogurt and green tea may help to neutralize odor-causing compounds and support beneficial gut bacteria, which can reduce unpleasant body odors, said Palinski-Wade.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
Each society or jurisdiction will determine the right balance of these elements to achieve the overarching policy goals under a set of normative values.—
Paulo Carvão,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
-
Her look included an A-line poplin skirt with crisp pleats that create shape and volume and a simple white tank top, striking the perfect balance between polished and relaxed.—
Nicol Natale,
People.com,
19 July 2025
Noun
-
But then, China is also in no position to challenge or provide a counterweight to the United States in the region.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
6 July 2025
-
Indeed, China and Russia have been leading the effort to form steering groups, such as the BRICS, to serve as counterweights to the G-7 and other bodies dominated by the West.—
Charles A. Kupchan,
Time,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counterpoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterpoise. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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