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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poises

Noun

Some have their arms crossed over their chests or fingers cradling their chins in thought — or, in Rush’s case, a combination of both — neither of which would have been standard stances for an 18th century portrait sitter, Anishanslin said.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Consumers fled from the company as Musk took more public political stances, such as backing German far-right party AfD prior to the German elections.

— Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of stances

Verb

Inside, soy proteins repair and strengthen, copper peptides stimulate keratin production–aka the protein that fortifies and minimizes frizz–and pro-B vitamins amplify fullness.

— Ellie Davis, Vogue, 25 June 2026
The Olive and June product can also be applied daily to bare nails as an intensive strengthening treatment that not only fortifies your claws, but also repairs ridges, discoloration, and pesky peeling along the way.

— Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 3 June 2026

Definition of fortifies

Verb

As a result, Skywalkers hovers between a sense of constant performance and disarming immediacy — the latter generally during the many vertigo-inducing drone shots of Ivan and Angela’s hair-raising accomplishments.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 July 2026
Their water content hovers around 16%, and butter is made up of 1-4% vitamins, minerals, lactose and protein.

— Rosemary Trout, Scientific American, 27 June 2026

Definition of hovers

Noun

The optimism in markets Monday could still prove premature, as negotiations over the strait and attack postures in the broader region remain fluid.

— Rob Wile, NBC news, 22 June 2026
Spending time in challenging postures under high heat (105 degrees) and humidity can build strength, balance, and endurance.

— Paula Chesley, STAT, 3 June 2026

Definition of postures

Verb

Paris — As France braces for another heatwave, it’s barely recovered from the last one.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
An extreme heat warning issued by the National Weather Service for the Pittsburgh area will enter a second day as the region braces for temperatures in the 90s and an impending heat wave.

— Mike Darnay, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Definition of braces

Verb

This time the fly lands just above the spot and floats its way down.

— Ralph Tuttle, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026
When the tank is full, the robot automatically floats to the surface and parks itself in a corner of the pool for emptying, which is a breeze thanks to a pop-out basket.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 June 2026

Definition of floats

Noun

But as Falcon 9 dramatically lowered launch costs through reusability and SpaceX began dominating global launch markets, attitudes changed.

— Rainer Zitelmann, Fortune, 2 July 2026
It's been a 10-year hiatus from television for him and comes amid shifting attitudes toward cable news shows.

— Jay Stahl, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Definition of attitudes

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.

Browse Nearby Words

poised

poises

poising

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Poises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poises. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of poises

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on poises

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes