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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of counterpoise
David Frum, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
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
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
That’s more than just a defeat; that is institutional counterpoise against the attempt by the president to corrupt institutions.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
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
-
There could be as many as ~1017 icy, round objects in hydrostatic equilibrium in the Milky Way galaxy alone, most of which are likely not bound to a parent star at all.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Either way, a break in the equilibrium holding a stock to support/resistance levels results in a breakout or breakdown.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Through an algebraic analysis of the robots’ parameters, such as the lengths of their links and the offsets of their joints, the team mapped out exactly where the singularities lie within their joint space.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
26 Apr. 2026
-
In these window boxes, the bluish hue of dichondra 'Silver Falls' offsets pink begonias and Madagascar periwinkle.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the league meetings in March, owners approved a measure that would allow replacement game officiating crews to receive assistance from the game-day command center and correct on-field calls.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
According to the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, mistakes can also be corrected by simply indicating the correction on your original ballot.—
Hector Amezcua,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ethics watchdogs have flagged concerns that these donations could buy favorable regulatory treatment from the federal government, while the White House counters that critics would complain if the project were funded by taxpayers.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Running seconds appear in the subdial at 7 o’clock, while the subdial at 4 o’clock features a 30-minute counter.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The shampoo uses highly concentrated violet pigments (which give it that signature purple hue) to neutralize yellow tones on contact.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
28 Apr. 2026
-
When ingested, the bacteria can release enzymes that neutralize stomach acids, then from there storm the intestines and can enter the blood.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, balance ambition with perspective.—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Interiors by Studio Architetto Mar, balance historic character with refined updates, highlighted by two reception rooms, a formal dining room, and a spacious chef’s kitchen dressed in decorative wallpaper.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Curiosity is no longer just a counterweight to vertigo.—
Matti Yahav,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Framed as a platform for addressing inequality, climate change and the rise of right-wing political movements, yet the rhetoric coming from it has raised questions in Washington and across the region about whether a more coordinated political counterweight to the United States is taking shape.—
Armando Regil Velasco,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Paint can also be a powerful corrective.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Mar. 2026
-
These are all refreshing correctives to the texts that previously stood in for contemporary Japan internationally, including any number of small volumes about magical cafés, bookshops, or libraries, often with cats on their covers.—
Sarah Chihaya,
New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterpoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterpoise. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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