as in corrects
to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective
if you get a high grade on this quiz, it will offset the D from your last one
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in counters
a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective
a better performance this time will be an offset to last year's dismal showing
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in cessations
the stopping of a process or activity
symptoms that were striking for their abrupt onset and their equally abrupt offset
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 offsets
Emma Ross-Thomas, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
House Republicans want to return $500 million annually to the middle class by expanding an income tax credit that offsets a portion of municipal property tax bills.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
The hope is that the large size of the sample offsets concerns about the demographics of respondents.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
Toyotas aren’t cheap, but their reliability is unmatched, which offsets the pricetag.
—Jakob Schiller, Outside, 16 Feb. 2026
This offsets the Red Raiders' home loss to Kansas a few weeks ago.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 15 Feb. 2026
This includes wage garnishment, tax refund seizure through the Treasury Offset Program, and collection of federal benefits like Social Security offsets.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2026
The charter revenue offsets some of the ownership costs.
—Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Brass looks particularly stunning alongside other natural materials like marble and wood, where its warmth offsets cooler surfaces and enhances organic textures.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 25 Jan. 2026
Tammy Webber, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
However, even with increasing emissions, the largest companies should be able to afford enough renewable energy and offsets to meet carbon-neutral goals.
—Tammy Webber, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
While many Republicans support the supplemental without any offsets, other members will need to see a plan or congressional approval before greenlighting any supplemental funding.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 25 Mar. 2026
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
The buyout total just for coaches fired without offsets was around $76 million alone.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Pruning For Cuttings Speaking of offsets, these are a great way to propagate your succulents and spread more plants around the garden.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
Under the Daylight Act, the time zone UTC offsets would be changed to half-hour increments rather than hours.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
The Yanbu route only partly offsets the hit to supply from shutting Hormuz, through which about 15 million barrels a day of crude shipments passed before the war.
—Emma Ross-Thomas, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
House Republicans want to return $500 million annually to the middle class by expanding an income tax credit that offsets a portion of municipal property tax bills.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
The hope is that the large size of the sample offsets concerns about the demographics of respondents.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
Toyotas aren’t cheap, but their reliability is unmatched, which offsets the pricetag.
—Jakob Schiller, Outside, 16 Feb. 2026
This offsets the Red Raiders' home loss to Kansas a few weeks ago.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 15 Feb. 2026
This includes wage garnishment, tax refund seizure through the Treasury Offset Program, and collection of federal benefits like Social Security offsets.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2026
The charter revenue offsets some of the ownership costs.
—Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Brass looks particularly stunning alongside other natural materials like marble and wood, where its warmth offsets cooler surfaces and enhances organic textures.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 25 Jan. 2026
Noun
However, even with increasing emissions, the largest companies should be able to afford enough renewable energy and offsets to meet carbon-neutral goals.
—Tammy Webber, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
However, even with increasing emissions, the largest companies should be able to afford enough renewable energy and offsets to meet carbon-neutral goals.
—Tammy Webber, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
While many Republicans support the supplemental without any offsets, other members will need to see a plan or congressional approval before greenlighting any supplemental funding.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 25 Mar. 2026
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
The buyout total just for coaches fired without offsets was around $76 million alone.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Pruning For Cuttings Speaking of offsets, these are a great way to propagate your succulents and spread more plants around the garden.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
Under the Daylight Act, the time zone UTC offsets would be changed to half-hour increments rather than hours.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offsets
Verb
-
In this scenario, stripped of high-paying salaries, prime borrowers default and tank the $13 trillion residential mortgage market, unemployment spikes above 10%, the stock market corrects down 38%, and the economy collapses into a deflationary spiral.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The answer is a combination of ingredients that corrects, prevents, and protects—not to mention the affordable price point.—
Erika Reals,
InStyle,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Miami has no shortage of options, from the ramen shops and food halls in the Wynwood Business Improvement District to sushi counters along South Beach.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
-
No matter the size, the decor is all Old World luxury—brocade upholstery, crystal lamp bases, and marble counters.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Temporary cessations of hostility, but no permanent closing of the moral and social divide between debtor and creditor, and no giving up on the thought that some lives matter more than others.—
Henry Freedland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Sometimes the strength part neutralizes his athleticism and neutralizes his skills.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Especially because the historicization does something to Martin’s writing, tossing in a saccharine element that neutralizes some of his humor.—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Borrowers closed out 2025 with a record-high amount of household debt, with credit card balances accounting for a hefty portion of it.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Filers aren’t required to report bank balances and primary residences — exactly the kinds of assets that constitute most people’s wealth.—
Alyce McFadden,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Former leaders warn that the loss of institutional knowledge, combined with halts to the incoming pipeline of public health workers, may lead to a long-term crisis.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Automotive industry analysts are forecasting that another microchip shortage could hit in the coming months, which could increase risks for production halts as costs skyrocket.—
Breana Noble,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The laws of armed conflict allow attacks on civilian infrastructure such as energy plants only if the military advantage outweighs the civilian harm, legal scholars say.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
PBHs have also been considered as a possible constituent of dark matter, the invisible matter permeating the universe that outweighs normal matter by a factor of about five.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
“Offsets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offsets. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
