1
as in bracing
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
the disgraced business executive poised herself for the difficult press conference
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hovering
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 poising
Verb
-
But with 2025 fast approaching, even those who’ve stayed afloat are bracing for what comes next.—
Josh Rottenberg,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Dec. 2024 -
Authorities are also bracing for potential conflicts with Yoon's presidential security detail if an attempt is made to take him into custody by force.—
George Monastiriakos,
Newsweek,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The chance for precipitation is hovering around 60% as of Saturday morning and rainfall amounts are expected to reach between a tenth and quarter of an inch, the forecast shows.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
22 Mar. 2025
-
To the north, Canada also slipped down the ladder but remains well ahead of the US, coming in at 18 after hovering around 15 for the last few years.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Within the past few days, San Francisco Bay has also seen an increase in sightings of dead gray whales, beginning with a female gray whale that was first reported floating near Alcatraz Island on March 29.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Don’t really care about awards, but sense some irony or hypocrisy floating around.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Red Bull Racing team is readying themselves for an exciting 2025 racing season by implementing a number of changes to their Formula 1 car, the RB21.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
-
Andrew Overstreet is readying himself to make his full-time debut as a NASCAR crew chief for the 2025 season.—
George Monastiriakos,
Newsweek,
31 Dec. 2024
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
“Poising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poising. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share