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 West Coast is also bracing for rising temperatures, with highs climbing to 10 to 25 degrees above normal this weekend.—
Christine Rapp,
NBC news,
13 June 2026 -
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
Updated June 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Given that the average credit card APR is hovering above 21% right now, even modest balances can become expensive to carry over time.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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Photos from the incident showed dozens of rescuers hovering over the narrow hole, which was roughly five feet wide, while lowering a ladder down to the man.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Supportive leadership includes recognizing the power of place and fortifying it with the tools, trust, and care needed for excellence to grow and thrive.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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It is primarily tasked with repairing and fortifying the city’s more than 210,000 streetlamps — a frequent target of copper wire thieves — and maintaining its network of electrical vehicle charging stations.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Plan a day trip floating along the river or utilize the many campsites for a multi-day journey.—
Kelsey Yandura,
Midwest Living,
17 June 2026
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One sixty-year-old from Fukushima was discovered two days later, ten miles out at sea, floating on a piece of the roof of his home.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Verb
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New York City is readying for crowds to flood the streets of Lower Manhattan on Thursday as the New York Knicks celebrate their NBA Finals win -- the first in over five decades.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
-
The next summer, Percy and Delilah (Abigail Cowen) are readying to reopen the Tavern.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Tehran retaliated by targeting ships sailing through the strait, effectively closing the sea lane and triggering the biggest oil supply disruption in history.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
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Russia’s defense ministry said the crew fired warning shots several hundred yards in front of the yacht, which appeared to be sailing on a collision course with the vessel.—
Hira Humayun,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
Verb
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In April, Stephen Woods’ son-in-law, Ryan Jennings, was swimming with his two oldest children while on a family vacation in Florida when a rip current dragged them out.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
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An Australian lifeguard helped rescue a woman who was critically injured by a white shark while swimming off a popular Sydney beach on Saturday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Poising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poising. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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