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
1
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
2
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
-
Ladapo has long stoked fears about vaccines, and his stances on shots and other measures have drawn criticism from the public health community.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025 -
Commenters on the video reacted to Flay’s answers, even disagreeing with some of his stances.—
Erin Clements,
People.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trying to stay ahead of the game, for Dick’s the acquisition of Foot Locker also fortifies relationships with Nike and Adidas, which still dominate global footwear sales, and gives Dick’s negotiating leverage.—
Mark Faithfull,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The future Hall of Famer only fortifies the talented roster, and gives Houston an experienced star who has the championship hardware to prove it.—
Valentina Martinez,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Support for universal background checks usually hovers around 90 percent in public opinion polls.—
John J. Donohue,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Officially, the prison can hold just over a thousand inmates, though its population often hovers well below that.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
If the message giver is experienced as coercive, conversations get derailed, often leaving the message receiver in awkward, if not hostile, postures.—
Matthew Mayhew,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Gavras, working from a script he co-wrote with Pulitzer-finalist playwright Will Arbery, seems to be poking fun at the vacuous postures of the oligarch class, just as Ruben Östlund and many other filmmakers have in recent years.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As Chicago braces for a similar crackdown, the Los Angeles effort topped 5,000 arrests last week.—
Elliot Spagat,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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As Major League Baseball reportedly braces for its own salary cap, these risks only grow.—
Jesse Silvertown,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Warren floats somewhere in the mix — anywhere between the hashes.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Nostalgia floats through the air as ’90s R&B fills the dining room.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In this theory, individuals categorize themselves and others into in-groups and out-groups, which shapes perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours and that typically, people tend to favour those in their in-group.—
Ellen Choi,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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These attitudes don’t always cause one of these forms of mass violence, but in places where mass violence occurs, these types of attitudes generally preëxist.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Ugarte’s adjustment of his positioning readies him to attack the space behind the defence.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Providence 1-0 (NR) Impressive sophomore quarterback Dominic Vita readies Celtics for crosstown rival Lincoln-Way Central.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Poises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poises. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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