as in stances
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
Relevance
1
as in fortifies
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 hovers
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poises
Noun
-
Hochul should use her improving political fortune and growing public disdain for the president’s regressive stances to break away from Trumpian energy policies and restore New York’s clean energy leadership in the new year.—
Anshul Gupta,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026 -
Landlord efforts to dangle concessions in front of prospective tenants have helped to shove effective rents lower due to the aggressive stances of property owners that hunger for leasing deals.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That night, Pam fortifies herself with a few drinks and answers when the phone rings.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
-
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 conservative majority regularly fortifies religious rights, but the justices have also been wary of expanding government officials’ exposure to damages in their individual capacities.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Northwestern’s endowment hovers around $14 billion.—
Andy Shaw,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Dellos, the shelter's manager, said the waitlist hovers around 200 people.—
Aaron Bolton,
NPR,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And that’s also a place where those familiar postures — the brooding cowboy, the angsty writer — start to dissolve.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Sachs films the pair in a variety of places and postures—sitting face to face in her living room, standing in the kitchen, lying down on her bed.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Texas Education Agency will meet with the Lake Worth community Wednesday as the school district braces for a state takeover.—
Lacey Beasley,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
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In October 2024, at 17, Yamal celebrated scoring against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu by showing off his customised blaugrana braces.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Each space floats on local zapote wood pillars to avoid covering the ground, leaving most of the jungle intact.—
Gemma Price,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Over half the resort floats to minimize land disruption, there are zero single-use plastics, and even their toilet paper is sourced with eco credentials.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Sarkozy’s prison sentence may also reflect a toughening of French attitudes toward corruption, which were once relatively lax.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
17 Jan. 2026
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This past November, the Pew Research Center published some really interesting data about American attitudes towards aging.—
Maggie McGrath,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The litigation is unfolding as SoFi Stadium readies to host 2026 FIFA World Cup games, the 2027 Super Bowl and 2028 Olympic events.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 Jan. 2026
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As Kiffin fights with his former employer about assistant coaches, Ole Miss readies for a generational opportunity.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Poises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poises. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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