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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Markets are losing hope that the Federal Reserve will lower rates anytime soon and are bracing for potential increases, but the deluge of capital being raised by companies signals financial conditions are already somewhat easy.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
20 June 2026 -
As temperatures rise, many of these businesses are already bracing for the summer rush.—
Gabby Sartori,
USA Today,
19 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
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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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Quincy High School principal Keith Ford wrote in a letter to families obtained by CBS Boston that Costa was swimming at the Boston-area pond with his classmates, all of whom had just graduated on June 9.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
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An activity that may seem leisurely, such as swimming in a river, could end up more dangerous if someone encounters an unexpected rip current.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Poising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poising. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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