counteract the problem

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "counteract the problem" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to express the idea of taking an action (or series of actions) to offset or minimize an undesired issue. For example: "The government has introduced several measures to counteract the problem of rising unemployment."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

32 human-written examples

To counteract the problem, cover the cooking dish with another dish of glass or ceramic, not plastic.

The New York Times

The porcelain cups and tea pots came in with the leaves, used as ballast to counteract the problem for shippers of a very bulky but very light cargo.

The Guardian

But Harvey also laid out a series of steps that could counteract the problem, including policy recommendations that could be effected by concerned citizens.

Harvard University

All proposed remediation techniques have proven costly and not highly effective, so prevention becomes the only way to counteract the problem.

Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering

We believe their adoption will enable open data transparency for validation, reuse and extension of scientific results; and will significantly counteract the problem of false positives in the literature.

Harvard University

But Lev Zetlin, a New York engineering consultant who often analyzes the street-level wind effects of proposed new buildings, urged that laws be passed to counteract the problem of street-level winds.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

28 human-written examples

And there are – it's just that most of them exist to try to counteract the problems created by a culture dominated by groups of men.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

If we want to, say, develop schools in disadvantaged communities that can successfully counteract the problems of their surrounding neighbourhoods, this tells us that we're better off building lots of small schools rather than one or two big ones.

The Guardian - Books

This idea is expounded upon by Dr. Daniel Saengwichai (1998) who argues that the philosophy of mai pen rai "has implanted deep within the people a sense of passive resignation to fate, thus impairing their ability to counteract the problems and to seek for solutions" (para. 2).

Language Testing in Asia

They labored over legislation to create a broadband network for first responders, designed to counteract the problems that emergency personnel faced during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Huffington Post

A concerted effort on designing multi-institutional (adequately and realistically powered) prospective randomized phase III clinical trials and then completing them in a timely fashion with international cross-Atlantic cooperation is necessary to counteract the problems of poor accrual.

Annals of Surgical Oncology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "counteract the problem", ensure that the action you are describing directly opposes or neutralizes the issue you are addressing. Be specific about the methods used to counteract the problem for clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "counteract the problem" when the action only addresses the symptoms and not the root cause. The phrase implies a more comprehensive solution than a mere temporary fix.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "counteract the problem" functions as a verb phrase where "counteract" is the verb indicating an action taken to oppose something, and "the problem" is the object, specifying what is being opposed. Ludwig provides examples illustrating how this phrase is used in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

48%

News & Media

40%

Academia

12%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "counteract the problem" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to describe actions taken to neutralize or mitigate an issue. As noted by Ludwig, the phrase is widely used across different contexts, including science, news, and academia. It suggests a direct and opposing action to reduce the negative impact of a problem. While alternatives like "mitigate the issue" or "offset the difficulty" exist, "counteract the problem" effectively conveys the intent to oppose and neutralize a specific negative situation. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase demonstrates strong grammatical correctness and consistency with standard English conventions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

mitigate the issue

Replaces "counteract" with "mitigate", focusing on reducing the severity of the issue.

offset the difficulty

Uses "offset" and "difficulty" to convey a similar meaning of balancing or reducing a problem.

neutralize the challenge

Employs "neutralize" and "challenge", suggesting rendering the problem ineffective.

negate the effect

Focuses on canceling out the consequence of the problem.

nullify the impact

Highlights the action of making the problem's influence void.

diminish the effects

Uses "diminish" and focuses on reducing the "effects" of the problem.

alleviate the situation

Substitutes "counteract" with "alleviate", focusing on easing or relieving the problem.

correct the deficiency

Indicates fixing or remedying an inadequacy or fault.

resolve the matter

Implies settling or finding a solution to the problem.

improve the circumstances

Suggests enhancing the conditions to lessen the problem's effect.

FAQs

How can I use "counteract the problem" in a sentence?

Use "counteract the problem" when you want to describe actions taken to neutralize or offset a specific issue. For instance, "The new regulations are designed to counteract the problem of pollution".

What are some alternatives to saying "counteract the problem"?

You can use alternatives like "mitigate the issue", "offset the difficulty", or "neutralize the challenge" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "counteract the problem" or "solve the problem"?

"Counteract the problem" implies neutralizing or offsetting an existing issue, while "solve the problem" suggests finding a complete solution. The choice depends on whether the goal is to mitigate the issue or to eliminate it entirely.

What is the difference between "counteract the problem" and "addressing the problem"?

"Counteract the problem" suggests taking direct action to neutralize or offset a negative effect, while "addressing the problem" simply means dealing with or discussing the issue without necessarily implying a specific solution.