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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These were claps of relief and encouragement from a European audience bracing for a mauling like JD Vance’s onslaught last year.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026 -
The county’s already bracing for impact.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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However, summer is typhoon season in Taiwan, and the weather is very toasty and muggy with highs regularly hovering around 90 degrees Fahrenheit.—
Mae Hamilton,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Feb. 2026
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Gold prices have been on a record-breaking roller coaster — after reaching an all-time high of more than $5,100 in late January, the precious metal's price has been hovering around the $5,000-per-ounce mark in mid-February.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The five-day trade fair draws Black businesspersons from dozens of states fortifying Jackson’s assertion that economic development is the way to Black power.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
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If healthy, Burrow (5-3 as a starter in 2025) will help significantly elevate the Bengals, as will a free agency and draft devoted to fortifying the defense.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Community ‘heartbroken’ over sewage spill Philip Gray used to enjoy paddling down the river in a canoe or floating in an inner tube, beer in hand, toward his home in Cabin John.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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So far, the data is limited on the efficacy of dry floating compared to wet floating.—
Shelby Hartman,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As well as cheeky possums and young kestrels readying to make their first flight, this year’s gallery also includes images that ask bigger questions about the human impact on the planet.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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There is a man that works there readying the breakfast buffet.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This aerial view shows the Taiwanese cargo ship Yang Ming sailing out of the Panama Canal on the Pacific side in Panama City on October 6, 2025.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
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Later research, using records from the International Maritime Organization, showed that of the 204 reports of piracy and armed robbery worldwide in 2017, only three occurred in the region where Dad was sailing.—
Emilee Coblentz,
Outside,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For every young punk whose pedigree makes chasing mainstream attention feel a little like, say, nakedly swimming after a dollar on a fishing hook, there was someone else who saw it as an opportunity to escape their hometown and never look back.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
14 Feb. 2026
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Homewood-Flossmoor’s Kendra Hayden was looking for something to fill her athletic downtime between swimming in the fall and water polo in the spring.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Poising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poising. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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