1
as in bracing
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
the disgraced business executive poised herself for the difficult press conference
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hovering
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 poising
Verb
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The peas themselves are piled like cabochons over a thin pastry shell, dressed in a tart citrus vinaigrette and studded with slivers of pickled shallots that deliver bracing little sparks of brine against the crisp sweetness of the legumes.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026 -
Hollywood is bracing for layoffs anyway.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Beaches, a nomination shut-out, was down $44,518 to $475,601, with attendance at the Majestic hovering around the 50% of capacity mark.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
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Operating under an experimental permit, the mission successfully transitioned the hydrogen-electric Robinson R44 from basic hovering to a complete airport traffic circuit.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Butka’s arrival continues a growing trend this offseason at Boise State, which is fortifying its inside game with taller, stronger bodies.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Think of calcium as fortifying fertilizer for your bones.—
Holly Carter,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The House Foreign Affairs Committee marked up 21 bills in a single session last month and eight separate, additional bills are floating around Congress related to advanced AI and export controls, including the Safe Chips Act and the Chip Security Act.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
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Designed by Carlo Mollino, the floating 1950s retreat retains many of the legendary Italian designer’s original interiors and custom furnishings.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Since then, Musk's team has been readying a fresh design of the rocket, which could be the version that finally reaches orbit and demonstrates key capabilities required to take humans deep into space.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
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This will be the 12th full-scale Starship test flight, and the first since last October, after delays in readying V3 for its first launch.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The ban will affect passengers sailing on Utopia of the Seas, which visits Nassau on Tuesday, plus Oasis of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas in port at CocoCay.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
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At the time of publication, the ship is sailing on a three- to four-day journey that began the evening of May 6 from Cape Verde to the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities have agreed to assist the imperiled vessel.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
Verb
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State and federal authorities are investigating after a man was captured on video in Hawaii throwing a rock toward an endangered Hawaiian monk seal swimming off the coast of Lahaina, Maui.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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This spring, biologists saw 77 fish swimming around in the hole.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
7 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Poising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poising. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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