counterweights

plural of counterweight
as in offsets
a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective hard work can often be a counterweight to modest intelligence

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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 counterweights In other words, emotion, empathy and irrationality could be seen as some of the most powerful counterweights to AI. — Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 Then, an optimization algorithm repeatedly rearranged the drone’s heavy essentials, such as the battery, the circuit board, and the counterweights. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026 Carbon fiber rods connect batteries, a controller, some counterweights, and a motor and propeller. — IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2026 Built by the Mosler Safe Company in Ohio, the vault’s doors opened upward, activated by two massive counterweights that swung down at the press of a button. — Literary Hub, 13 May 2026 Other items from the ship, including the ballasts that served as counterweights for the human cargo, are remaining on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years. — ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026 When clinicians practice this way, patients still seek out peers — but as companions, not counterweights. — Scott Hamilton, STAT, 4 Mar. 2026 When the executive presides over the legislative branch and retains veto authority, meaningful institutional counterweights can become harder to sustain. — Sara Albrecht, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026 Each tram has eight passenger cars and is powered by a typical heavy-duty elevator mechanism with cables, counterweights, etc. — Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterweights
Noun
  • Chinese Money Plant Chinese money plants (Pilea peperomioides) often produce offsets or baby plants, which are easy to divide and repot into their own containers.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Sep. 2026
  • And this does the latter quite nicely, the classic claret and blue along with a gold trim offsets the whole thing rather well.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The state counters that funding the church school would violate the state's anti-discrimination law.
    — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Mail, keys, reusable bags, lunch containers and water bottles migrate onto counters because no other surface in the home has been assigned to them — which pushes everyday clutter straight into active work zones.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • These balances may need different treatment Carrying debt into retirement isn't necessarily a problem.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Accounting software like QuickBooks Online can automate invoice creation, track payments and send reminders about outstanding balances.
    — Carson Brunson, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The need for correctives is extensive, and the work is well under way.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • These are all refreshing correctives to the texts that previously stood in for contemporary Japan internationally, including any number of small volumes about magical cafés, bookshops, or libraries, often with cats on their covers.
    — Sarah Chihaya, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Counterweights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterweights. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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