as in stances
a general way of holding the body
the woman's poise suggested that she was accustomed to having her wishes carried out promptly and without question
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in fortifies
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
the disgraced business executive poised herself for the difficult press conference
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hovers
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 poises
Noun
-
Canada takes hard line on regional trade pact Canada and Mexico are taking differing stances ahead of a renegotiation of the North American trade agreement.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026 -
When the Red Bull Dance Your Style competition holds its Midwest Regional in Kansas City on Saturday, April 25, the moves performed will feature more headspins and b-boy stances than the typical performances inside one of KC’s iconic landmarks.—
Dominick Williams,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Excited yet anxious over the prospect of reconnecting with the man that got away, the pair fortifies themselves with cocktails and bubbly during a boozy dinner.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Justin Faulk immediately fortifies Detroit’s second defense pair next to Ben Chiarot.—
The Athletic NHL Staff,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The price tag for the renovation still hovers at its more than $900,000 estimate, Mortensen said.—
Kevin Fixler
April 29,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Anything below 50% favorability portends political trouble; right now Trump’s positive standing in polls hovers around a dismal 40%.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Triggers can be smells, sounds, places, postures or tones of voice.—
Dr. Andrew Garner,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
-
On this tour, the postures struck are much fewer and farther in-between, or less planned and deliberate-seeming.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Local officials were assessing the extent of the damage and impact — as the region braces for more possible tornadoes in the days ahead.—
Ben Noll,
Washington Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
While Silicon Valley braces for overnight layoffs, is China faring any better?—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hathaway’s White Queen floats with sweet highs and dark lows, her heavenly air masking a morbid psychosis.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
One idea the team floats is that zinc and manganese are limited resources, so scorpions can only reinforce the most critical parts of the stingers instead of spreading the metals across their entire exoskeleton.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
In the centuries since colonists waged war against the crown, American’s attitudes toward the royals have shifted from hatred to adoration.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
More homework was also associated with negative attitudes about school for younger children in the study.—
Ariel Gilreath,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The news comes as Japan readies to take the spotlight at this year’s market after being named the 2026 Country of Honor.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The worst possible time would be in two weeks, as the team readies for its first playoff series since 2019.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Antonio Express-News,
7 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Poises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poises. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
