as in offset
a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective hard work can often be a counterweight to modest intelligence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 counterweight Eight priests in heavy robes acted as the counterweight, controlling a rope as thick as my forearm. Craig Martin, Outside Online, 8 May 2025 Created as a counterweight to Google's dominance in artificial intelligence, the project got initial funding from Musk. CBS News, 28 Mar. 2025 Such a group could provide an important alternative and counterweight to Silicon Valley and China—the regions that dominate today. Florian Douetteau, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025 In all, the news formed a sobering and immediate counterweight to investors’ hopes of just hours ago. Catherine Baab, Quartz, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for counterweight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterweight
Noun
  • While higher oil prices are a significant drag on many sectors within the US economy, the profits from US oil production provide a positive offset.
    Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
  • Carbon offsets, electric vehicles, and glossy net-zero pledges are held up as solutions, while the core logic—produce more, ship further, grow faster—goes unchallenged.
    Nathalie Kelley, Time, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • Boxes of 45s, some with protective sleeves and many without, line the floor near the counter where Doug Snyder sits on the left side of the store.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2025
  • Trowbridge's is a charming blast from the past, from the vinyl counter seats to the old-fashioned milkshakes, to the homemade chili and chicken and dumplings.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 5 July 2025
Noun
  • Prosecutors accuse the men of concealing the fraud through complex financial transactions, and sending fraudulent account statements with false balances to people with special needs and their families.
    Jeff Martin, Fortune, 25 June 2025
  • Charles Schwab Learn More Minimum deposit and balance Minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected.
    Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Coyle, 33, is the right-shot center the Blue Jackets were seeking this summer, a counterbalance to the three left-handed centers — Sean Monahan, Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger — already in the Columbus lineup.
    Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • As the voice of Rex, Norton doesn’t have a ton of narrative weight to bear, but as the more eagerly helpful counterbalance to the nihilistic Chief, Norton’s chipper intonations set the right tone. 43.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Counterweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterweight. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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