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

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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
  • Residents have been bracing to see what El Niño has in store this winter after an active hurricane season that has dramatically reshaped many of Southern California’s most famous beaches, including in San Clemente and adjacent Capistrano Beach.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Wall Street is bracing for what is expected to be a downer quarter from the OTT service.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of bracing
Verb
  • So nothing can dissipate the cloud of suspicion hovering over Attorney General James Uthmeier.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Compare that to the country’s overall unemployment rate, which is hovering around 4%.
    — John Gill, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 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
  • Vincent Fiordilino was found floating face-down in an in-ground pool during a Super Bowl gathering at the family's home in Gilbert, Arizona, according to police.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Those little pieces floating around in there that can’t get out.
    — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of floating
Verb
  • The rest of the ensemble, including fiddler Jeremy Garrett, dobroist Andy Hall, and standup bassist Travis Book, are tuning up and readying themselves for the gig.
    — Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Beyond calling and readying Americans for a fight against the insurrection, Lincoln also outlined the meaning and memory of the conflict about to commence.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of readying
Verb
  • The unfortunate crew of the doomed vessel were likely sailing to the west when disaster struck, the researchers wrote in a study about the wreck that was published earlier this year.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The fourth ship was identified as the Al Saadiyat, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag.
    — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sailing
Verb
  • It’s estimated about 25% of the sunscreen people apply to their skin washes off while swimming or wading in the ocean.
    — Matthew Perrone, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • For twenty years, McCarthy has been swimming against the current, writing novels that reflect, with unusual intensity, his disdain for the conventional underpinnings of literary fiction.
    — Max Callimanopulos, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 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 Oct. 2026.

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