as in to oppose
to strive to reduce or eliminate
efforts to counter poverty in every sector of our country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in offset
a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective
strong moral guidance at home is the best counter to the pernicious allure of popular culture
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in opposite
something that is as different as possible from something else
her version of the domestic dispute was almost the exact counter of what actually happened
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in negative
opposed to one's interests
was unprepared for such a strong counter campaign by opponents of the legislative bill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of counter
Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
And Trump is acting counter to federal law in doing so, which is no surprise for him.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 9 June 2025
Kelly Iko, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
In response, Republicans have proposed several bills that directly counter those plans.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2025
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2025
For each of the four grill packets, place a 16-inch-long sheet of heavy-duty foil on the counter.
—Bethany Thayer, Freep.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Scott Harkey, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
The council action is counter to the position taken by the Naperville Financial Advisory Board, which voted 5-1 in May to recommend the adoption of the grocery tax over increasing the home rule sales tax.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for counter
Verb
Baeza’s second-class-citizen status, glaringly disproportionate to his athletic gifts, runs directly counter to the core raison d’etre of the Derby’s points system, which was instituted twelve years ago to distill the talent selected for the Kentucky Derby gate.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
And Trump is acting counter to federal law in doing so, which is no surprise for him.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 9 June 2025
Noun
In a nutshell, Houston lacked the personnel to effectively space the floor and the schematics to counter said lack of spacing.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
In response, Republicans have proposed several bills that directly counter those plans.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
But having a lineup of bottles and jars on the counter looks a little untidy.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2025
For each of the four grill packets, place a 16-inch-long sheet of heavy-duty foil on the counter.
—Bethany Thayer, Freep.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Adverb
At the time the move was counter to the early industry momentum around other solutions such as Apple Pay and Google Pay and many saw it as a sign of a future where every bank had their own wallet.
—Scott Harkey, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
The council action is counter to the position taken by the Naperville Financial Advisory Board, which voted 5-1 in May to recommend the adoption of the grocery tax over increasing the home rule sales tax.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for counter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counter
Verb
-
It was frowned upon to fraternize with opposing players during batting practice, so hugging them in the first inning would be totally out of the question.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
23 Aug. 2025
-
The only relative known to oppose the brothers’ release was Kitty’s brother, Milton Andersen, who died earlier this year.—
Matthew J. Friedman,
CNN Money,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
An Education Department spokesperson told CNBC in an email Tuesday that the department has not offset any Social Security benefits since restarting collections on May 5 and has paused future Social Security offsets.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
13 Aug. 2025
-
And even with a partial offset, child care is a huge expense and most companies simply don’t have the margin to subsidize it.—
Abby McCloskey,
Boston Herald,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But in my experience, if done right, the opposite can very much be true.—
Eugenia Mykuliak,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Everything is in flux, but Alex is consistent, and Cole’s the opposite.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Crone’s process isn’t just about helping the individual think positively but eliminating the negative thinking that restricts potential.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
-
The problem with portraying Andreotti and Berlusconi, for me, wasn’t dealing with characters who were negative.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
27 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
With mobile solutions, if a gate changes at the last minute, agents can simply walk across without needing to set up a device at the new location.—
Samuel Mueller,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
-
The Outrigger telescopes enabled the team to pinpoint the fast radio burst’s point of origin to a region measuring about 45 light-years across, an area smaller than a cluster of stars.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
To move the 250 million gallons of refined fuel the Navy needs to fight, the fleet will require at least 23 tankers.—
Craig Hooper,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Two engines and one hand crew are all continuing to fight the fire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Finding that balance between using Daniels’ legs while still protecting him is something Leipold doesn’t take lightly.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Aug. 2025
-
This bruschetta with tomatoes and white beans delivers a great balance of protein, veggies, healthy fats and seasonings.—
Bethany Thayer,
Freep.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The climate for filmmakers looking to interrogate the Russian war effort remains hostile.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
31 Aug. 2025
-
The president’s hostile, but at times confusing, remarks over the last several days have put the city on edge as leaders condemned the plan as unnecessary and dangerous.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counter. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share