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
  • The House Judiciary Committee is bracing to tackle other corruption issues, like pardons.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • More showers and possible flooding are expected Tuesday afternoon, though not as widespread, and residents are bracing for them.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of bracing
Verb
  • When he’s described as cowardly in print by the ever-hovering gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Sarah Drew, Grey’s Anatomy), Stewart follows his instincts and enlists.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Bitcoin is hovering around the $80,000 mark, lifting the broader crypto space.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of hovering
Verb
  • Tensions between North and South Korea have risen since Pyongyang began fortifying its border in April 2024.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Tensions between North and South Korea have risen since Pyongyang began fortifying its ‌border ⁠in April 2024.
    — Reuters, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fortifying
Verb
  • The contracts involve subsea production systems and pipelines, a floating control unit and drilling rig services.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Scientists have estimated up to around 13 million metric tons of plastics enter the ocean each year, but only a fraction of has been found floating at the surface — around 250,000 tons.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of floating
Verb
  • The market is readying itself for the 2026 midterm election results Tuesday, and investors are already showing signs of caution at the prospect of a Democratic sweep.
    — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Constant reports of corruption and profiteering are a hallmark of his second term, and Democrats are readying literally countless investigations of him and his family, and their businesses and associates.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of readying
Verb
  • Seductive aquatic creatures luring sailors to a watery death is a story that pretty much originated with sailing itself.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2026
  • When the Odyssey stopped sailing, the friend had spent less than a month on the ship.
    — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of sailing
Verb
  • But the entire process is designed to keep as many of them swimming as possible.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • But here Judd, like Alexander himself, was swimming dead against the increasingly glamorous current of high architecture.
    — Julian Rose, Artforum, 1 Nov. 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.

Browse Nearby Words

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 11 Nov. 2026.

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