as in offsets
a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective
hard work can often be a counterweight to modest intelligence
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Recent Examples of counterweights
Other items from the ship, including the ballasts that served as counterweights for the human cargo, are remaining on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years.
—
Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
Other items from the ship, including the ballasts that served as counterweights for the human cargo, are remaining on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
When clinicians practice this way, patients still seek out peers — but as companions, not counterweights.
—Scott Hamilton, STAT, 4 Mar. 2026
When the executive presides over the legislative branch and retains veto authority, meaningful institutional counterweights can become harder to sustain.
—Sara Albrecht, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Each tram has eight passenger cars and is powered by a typical heavy-duty elevator mechanism with cables, counterweights, etc.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 28 Oct. 2025
According to the outlets, the pair heard a loud bang and the elevator cabin jammed before eventually falling down the shaft, along with a number of concrete counterweights.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
They should be cultivated as counterweights to an overpowering security establishment.
—Shalom Lipner, Foreign Affairs, 26 Apr. 2018
Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
Other items from the ship, including the ballasts that served as counterweights for the human cargo, are remaining on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
When clinicians practice this way, patients still seek out peers — but as companions, not counterweights.
—Scott Hamilton, STAT, 4 Mar. 2026
When the executive presides over the legislative branch and retains veto authority, meaningful institutional counterweights can become harder to sustain.
—Sara Albrecht, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Each tram has eight passenger cars and is powered by a typical heavy-duty elevator mechanism with cables, counterweights, etc.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 28 Oct. 2025
According to the outlets, the pair heard a loud bang and the elevator cabin jammed before eventually falling down the shaft, along with a number of concrete counterweights.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
They should be cultivated as counterweights to an overpowering security establishment.
—Shalom Lipner, Foreign Affairs, 26 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterweights
Noun
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In some cases, benefit offsets (where the VA withholds part of your monthly benefit to repay a debt) can be adjusted to reduce the financial strain.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
And for the environmentally conscious, Avocado is a B-Corp brand that uses renewable energy at their factories and purchases carbon offsets for shipping.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Still, few people waited at ticket counters or in line at Au Bon Pain, and nobody was waiting to order anything at Starbucks.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
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Pairing with technology More specialized counters come with compatible software or an app that works on different devices, such as smartphones or computers.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Part of the issue is that credit card balances remain elevated, as do the average rates tied to them.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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But even lowering your balances could save you hundreds in interest and fees.—
Dan Avery,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These are all refreshing correctives to the texts that previously stood in for contemporary Japan internationally, including any number of small volumes about magical cafés, bookshops, or libraries, often with cats on their covers.—
Sarah Chihaya,
New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2026
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Some of these values—such as a disciplined commitment to physical fitness—are good and, in my opinion, necessary correctives to the enervating distractions of 21st-century living.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counterweights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterweights. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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