1
as in equilibrium
a condition in which opposing forces are equal to one another
a musical piece with a counterpoise of loud and soft passages
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in offset
a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective
the happiness brought by a new baby was a timely counterpoise to the grief occasioned by a death in the family
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to offset
to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective
her overall healthiness largely counterpoised the virulence of the infection
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of counterpoise
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
What’s most remarkable about Torruella’s film is its counterpoise between the sense of raging injustice and the island’s mystic stillness.
—Amada Torruella, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2023
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
Conflicts of interest are objective situations that arise when a person’s financial interests can be counterpoised to their public responsibilities.
—Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 29 Nov. 2018
Noun
Molina, the embodiment of theatrical excellence, is perfectly cast as the rational counterpoise to Brady’s zealotry.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
What’s most remarkable about Torruella’s film is its counterpoise between the sense of raging injustice and the island’s mystic stillness.
—Amada Torruella, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2023
Verb
Indeed, the Western, that peculiarly American contribution to the world’s store of epic and saga, often depends on the tale of a defeated Confederate at large to enforce virtue, someone whose heroic individualism is counterpoised with the superficial discipline of the federal troops.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
Conflicts of interest are objective situations that arise when a person’s financial interests can be counterpoised to their public responsibilities.
—Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 29 Nov. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterpoise
Noun
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Stockholm also expressed the equilibrium, where creativity and design evoke the balance between urban life and nature and innovation and tradition.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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There’s something deep in our biological clocks that can’t seem to help but welcome the days when the sun stays up past 8 pm and the air temperature reaches equilibrium with our bodies.—
Bryan Walsh,
Vox,
26 May 2025
Noun
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But markets are betting that making the 2017 tax cuts permanent as well as eliminating taxes on tips and overtime, with only partial revenue offsets, will aggravate the fiscal problems.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
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Those efforts and the pandemic pause significantly reduced the number of seniors facing offsets.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Verb
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This story was updated to correct a typo in Mandi Jung's name.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
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This story was changed to correct the address of TheaterWorks Hartford and to update changes in the performance schedule.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Hodges and Cruz were waiting in the sandwich line at the deli counter at Joe’s Grocery, on Lenox Ave.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2025
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LEDs under the bathroom counter or cabinets and over the bathroom vanity can also provide ideal night lighting.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2025
Verb
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The video showed soldiers being instructed on firing grenade launchers, neutralizing enemy drones and clearing trenches.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
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On May 26 alone, Ukraine’s Air Force intercepted nine cruise missiles and neutralized 288 of the 355 incoming drones, a record number deployed in single attack to date.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Hwang, who represents Fairfield, said the bill strikes the right balance between the interests of towers and consumers.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2025
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The record-setting balances, on their own, weren’t necessarily a troublesome indicator.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
1 June 2025
Noun
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And Taiwan's democracy serves as a counterweight to the rising authoritarianism of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
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Caught between these poles is Europe, once seen as a potential counterweight to the power of Big Tech.—
Ian Bremmer,
Foreign Affairs,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counterpoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterpoise. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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