counterweight

noun

ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌwāt How to pronounce counterweight (audio)
Definition of counterweightnext
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

Relevance

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 In 1937, Foyles started the Right Book Club, a rather feeble counterweight to Victor Gollancz’s Left Book Club. — Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026 The shifting investments come as both parties make their final spending decisions in the battle for Senate control, with Democrats pointing to their candidates and the political environment as potential counterweights to Republican money. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 The letter is spearheaded by Guardrails Action, the nonprofit affiliated with Guardrails Alliance, the super PAC launched in June as a counterweight to pro-AI election groups. — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Ukraine’s army is currently the only real counterweight to Russian military power on the continent, and it would then be turned against Europe itself. — Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for counterweight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterweight
  1. offset
  2. counter
  3. balance
  4. counterbalance
  5. corrective
Noun
  • Another resident, Chaz Lord, viewed the stipends as a reasonable offset for the low base pay.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Supporters describe the rating changes as offsets for the package’s costs.
    — Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of offset
Noun
  • With the Duo, the phone was also the iPad on the counter, so a quick reply became much more of an interruption.
    — Allison Johnson, The Verge, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Passengers check in at the Frontier Airlines counter at Denver International Airport on May 19, 2026, in Denver.
    — Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of counter
Noun
  • The right balance depends on the task, and the ideal communication structure, which agents can talk to one another, how often and how much, also varies with the problem.
    — Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The film was lauded for its deft balance of human drama, convincing historical detail, and special effects.
    — Matt Alt, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of balance
Noun
  • Leeds is in the zone here, and because most of the tracks are about the same length and there are no ambient interludes or pop-length counterbalances, the album’s lengthy runtime ends up sliding by pretty easily.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The counterbalance is both Eaton and GE Vernova stand to benefit from the electric grid overhaul that needs to happen, irrespective of AI.
    — Alexa LoMonaco,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of counterbalance
Noun
  • The need for correctives is extensive, and the work is well under way.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • State Board of Education member Brandon Hall, a pastor from Weatherford who voted for the mandate, framed the changes as a corrective.
    — Rachel Royster. Produced with AI assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026
Definition of corrective

Browse Nearby Words

counterviews
counterweight
counterweights
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Counterweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterweight. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of lissome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All