1
as in equilibrium
a condition in which opposing forces are equal to one another
there must be a poise between the rights of the individual and the rights of society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in posture
a general way of holding the body
the woman's poise suggested that she was accustomed to having her wishes carried out promptly and without question
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to brace
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
the disgraced business executive poised herself for the difficult press conference
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air
the falcon poised in the air for an instant before diving to attack its prey
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poise
Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Okot also impressed in her WNBA debut, scoring eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with four rebounds in just 10 minutes, showing the poise and physicality that earned her a roster spot out of training camp.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 10 May 2026
Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Most prominently, Big Mama was poised as a retirement album because Latto is a new mom with more than enough means to give her first daughter an extraordinary life.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Pitchfork, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for poise
Noun
While his numbers were lower than those of McKenna and Malhotra, his poise and ability to produce in a professional league opened eyes.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Okot also impressed in her WNBA debut, scoring eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with four rebounds in just 10 minutes, showing the poise and physicality that earned her a roster spot out of training camp.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 10 May 2026
Verb
The Hollywood Reporter recently informally surveyed agents, managers and executives to name who from that world is poised for a breakout, and Phillips was among those names.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Most prominently, Big Mama was poised as a retirement album because Latto is a new mom with more than enough means to give her first daughter an extraordinary life.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Pitchfork, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for poise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poise
Noun
-
Mary disrupts Clark’s equilibrium with the Backrooms by refusing to validate his excuses for his behavior, fully calling out his failings, his petty assholery, and his glib, solipsistic lies.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
That equilibrium was sustained not by the courts or the Voting Rights Act but by behavior.—
Bruce Sibley,
Time,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Other men have adopted a more defensive posture, claiming to overstate their height only because everyone else is doing it.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
-
But look at what Healey said just a few months ago to boost her anti-ICE and anti-Trump posture.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Women are bracing for hot flashes while the real experience is dominated by exhaustion, mood changes and cognitive symptoms, the kinds of complaints that get attributed to stress, parenting, work or aging in general.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 June 2026
-
Kochen’s chain of about 30 companies — which operated under the CLADD Group LLC in North Miami — sold durable medical equipment such as knee, shoulder and wrist braces to patients who were referred by doctors affiliated with Herek’s telemedicine business, VirtualNet.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Chip stocks, however, stumbled; bitcoin is hovering at its weakest since the war began, private credit is throwing off sparks again — and a flesh-eating parasite has turned up in Texas.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
The first experiment featured an artificial flower placed above a pit in the floor so that there was insufficient space for a bee to hover to reach the flower.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Though some denominations have stricter stances on AI, none are monolithic in their approaches.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Finished with a more confident, upright stance and a noticeably more rugged appearance, the 2026 Outback finally looks as adventurous as its reputation has long suggested.—
Tim Jackson,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The five-day trade fair drew Black businesspersons from dozens of states, fortifying Jackson’s assertion that economic development is the way to Black power.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
-
In his lethal line of work, Lobo comes fortified with an arsenal of guns, blades, grenades, and a wicked titanium chain equipped with a sharp hook.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The music floats into the night, mingling with the scent of the food trucks still serving here and there.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
-
One child left the float while in shallow water and walked back to shore, but the other continued floating deeper into the reservoir, agency officials said in the release.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Together, the stories aim to show how our attitude toward animals is largely dependent on context and species.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
Considering the misguided attitudes of many Gen Z voters, there’s no time to waste.—
Betsy McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poise. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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