poising

verb

present participle of poise
1
as in bracing
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally the disgraced business executive poised herself for the difficult press conference

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
  1. bracing
  2. hovering
  3. fortifying
  4. floating
  5. readying
  6. sailing
  7. swimming
Verb
  • Moderna has been looking for growth beyond its COVID-19 shot while Merck is bracing for the looming patent loss for Keytruda, its blockbuster therapy, later this decade.
    — Reuters, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Bleacherites were bracing for the descending ball as a souvenir when the wind blew the ball back into the field of play, where Billy Williams caught it for the out.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of bracing
Verb
  • The small plane struck the tail of the hovering helicopter, killing the Cessna pilot and sending both aircraft to the ground in pieces.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The helicopter crew was conducting routine training and was hovering several feet above a grassy area adjacent to a runway when the crash happened.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of hovering
Verb
  • Residents were busy fortifying their properties ahead of the peak of the weather event, as city officials positioned crews early to begin working on lining the shore with berms.
    — Lesley Marin, CBS News, 30 July 2026
  • Paramount now must strengthen its case for a high-stakes trial while fortifying Paramount’s existing businesses and managing uncertainty among the employee base.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of fortifying
Verb
  • The Mexican navy searched a vast area of the Pacific Ocean by sea and air, eventually finding the two men floating in a large fishing cooler about 150 miles off the coast of Chiapas, a southern state in Mexico that borders Guatemala.
    — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The Port of Los Angeles forklift driver was wearing a life vest and was floating away, out to sea -- cold, worried about sharks and drowning.
    — Michele Gile, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of floating
Verb
  • The zoo’s veterinary team collaborated with cancer specialists at nearby University of Liverpool to adapt an emerging treatment called electrochemotherapy, readying it for first-time use in a snake.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • On Tuesday, OpenAI executives said the industry would need a more expansive strategy for readying itself for future models.
    — Deepa Seetharaman, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of readying
Verb
  • Offensive notes Tommy DeVito settled in nicely after sailing some early throws.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
  • That comment followed news that the USS George Washington is now sailing to the Middle East and is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which has been at sea for some 250 days and not had a port call for more than 200.
    — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of sailing
Verb
  • That teen's death came less than a week after police issued a warning about swimming in the Milford quarry.
    — Matt Schooley, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Douglass opted not to race the individual 100, instead swimming the 100 breaststroke Thursday.
    — Peter Baugh, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of swimming
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.

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poises
poising
poison
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Cite this Entry

“Poising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poising. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on poising

Nglish: Translation of poising for Spanish Speakers

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