POISES Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

poises 1 of 2

noun

plural of poise

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

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poises

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of poise

as in fortifies

to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally the disgraced business executive poised herself for the difficult press conference

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poises

Noun

The future of data center opposition With Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial election coming up next month, candidates’ stances on data center development could further scramble traditional partisan divides.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
Governments around the world are hardening their AI stances as more agentic hacks breach critical systems.

— J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of stances

Verb

The additional financing fortifies its position as one of two investors alongside the Ellison family controlling Paramount’s voting stock.

— Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
The addition of cotton and raw material-producing countries like Egypt and Ethiopia further fortifies a strong sourcing platform that already includes manufacturing giants India and China.

— Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of fortifies

Verb

But when Alexander saw the green machine, the tree excavator, feet away from the 100-year-old oak tree that hovers over the corner of Salem Drive and Idlewood Circle, that was not fine.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2026
The band hovers in a razor-thin lacuna between heaven and hell, between ascension and purgatory, on the verge of going either way.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of hovers

Noun

Mogwai, who would make their debut the year after Beat was released and with whom Bowery Electric would share a bill, would crouch in similarly unassuming and tense postures and use them to spring out and scare the bejeezus out of people.

— Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
Alice and Gemma really don’t seem to get along, and neither seems inclined to back down from their hostile postures.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of postures

Verb

Top stories Fires Crews are battling a fire in Malibu as SoCal braces for another day of Santa Ana winds.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
This year’s event was as much about celebration as collaboration, defined by a spirit of togetherness for an industry that braces for the uncertain road ahead.

— Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of braces

Verb

Each night, Musgraves floats over the audience, cozily nestled in a giant set of disco ball Truck Nutz.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
After customers complained about the oil that floats to the top of natural peanut butter, the company created a plastic container that could sit upside-down on grocery store shelves, Dana says.

— Megan Sauer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of floats

Verb

Now with almost two years under de La Faverie’s belt, Zannino laid out the priorities for the year ahead as the enterprise readies itself for the future.

— Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
The battery charges itself, and the primer pump readies the carb before starting.

— Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of readies

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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poised

poises

poising

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“Poises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poises. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of poises

noun

verb

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