counterthrust

noun

coun·​ter·​thrust ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌthrəst 

variants or counter-thrust

plural counterthrusts or counter-thrusts

: a thrust to offset or oppose another thrust

As in all good espionage novels, there is thrust and counterthrust. The Americans come up with an ingenious kidnap idea. The Russians, at first taken in, counter with a thrust of their own.

—Newgate Callender

… the Allied line was left stretched still farther northward, inviting a German counterthrust.

—Alistair Horne

… his nose for the business side of books gives him a huge advantage among independents in the battle against the chains. He understands what the chains are doing and why they're doing it, and he enjoys the challenge of coming up with counterthrusts.

—Bob Hicks

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above