1
as in confident
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in braced
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 hovered
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
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Recent Examples of poised
Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Emily is a poised and successful art gallery director whose life takes a dark turn after a brief, impulsive affair with a magnetic Italian artist, Carlo (Antonio Cupo).
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 10 July 2025
Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
Google Pixel phones are reportedly poised for a significant home screen customization update in Android 17.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for poised
Adjective
Later that year, political pressure forced the government to pause licensing plans, though companies remain poised to resume if approvals restart.
—Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Emily is a poised and successful art gallery director whose life takes a dark turn after a brief, impulsive affair with a magnetic Italian artist, Carlo (Antonio Cupo).
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 10 July 2025
Verb
Less than two months after Mayor Robert Coe died, the Wheatland City Council is poised to appoint a replacement to fill his seat at Tuesday’s meeting.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
Google Pixel phones are reportedly poised for a significant home screen customization update in Android 17.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for poised
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poised
Adjective
-
In…early books, Strout seemed confident that good would eventually prevail, or at least persist.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
-
If the Leafs take Stenberg, and the Sharks want a defenseman and are confident that the Vancouver Canucks will select McKenna, maybe the two Pacific Division teams can arrange a trade.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
This is surprising for something that is supposed to require less hovering, especially if the host is out of hearing range of the device's alerts.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Overcast skies hovered over Atlanta during the midafternoon as the metro area braced for severe weather.—
Vanessa McCray,
AJC.com,
6 May 2026
-
On April 14th, as Kyiv braced for a round of Russian strikes, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, was seven hundred and fifty miles away, in Berlin, forging a defense agreement with Germany, part of a tour of European allies to raise support for military aid.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Global crude prices hovered between $60 and $70 for most of 2025.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
7 May 2026
-
Overcast skies hovered over Atlanta during the midafternoon as the metro area braced for severe weather.—
Vanessa McCray,
AJC.com,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
McIlroy overcame some early inconsistency to put together a composed round, while Burns leaned on excellent ball-striking to match him at the top.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Before Tuesday night, Konate had looked much more composed and commanding.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Opt for bigger hanging bulbs, discrete flickers, or even hanging sheaths.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
-
To maintain the immersive illusion, Iñárritu eschewed traditional hanging fabric.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Formula is fortified with vitamin K, but even with that, experts agree, babies should still get the shot.—
Duaa Eldeib,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
-
Formula is fortified with vitamin K, but even with that, experts agree, babies should still get the shot.—
Lee Hutchinson,
ArsTechnica,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
By then, 34 other passengers had departed the vessel, which first sailed from the South American country of Argentina in March, with stops in the Antarctic and other locations before heading to waters off Cape Verde near the coast of West Africa.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
The ship then sailed for the port of Praia in Cape Verde, but was denied permission to dock.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poised. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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