counterstrike

noun

coun·​ter·​strike ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌstrīk 

variants or counter-strike

plural counterstrikes or counter-strikes

: a strike that retaliates against or counters earlier strike : a return strike

government counterstrikes against the rebel stronghold

… the belief on both sides that any attack would be met with an equally devastating counterstrike.

—W. J. Hennigan and Brian Bennett

Synonyms of counterstrike

• counterattack

Examples of counterstrike in a Sentence

after countless strikes and counterstrikes, the positions of both armies remained essentially unchanged

Recent Examples on the Web

Dozens of Iranians have died since the last bout of strikes and counterstrikes began, and thousands since February. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

The collapse of the ceasefire and interim agreement has led to days of strikes and counterstrikes across the region, with traffic in the crucial waterway once again largely halted as the two sides battle over it. — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 17 July 2026

According to Chinese state media, the units involved in the missile launch are trained to operate under demanding battlefield conditions, including severe electromagnetic interference and precision counterstrikes. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 June 2026

In November, 2023, after Hamas’s massacre of Israelis and the onset of Israel’s brutal counterstrike on Gaza, Habermas signed a statement that reasserted solidarity between Germany and Israel. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for counterstrike

• businesslike
• ladylike
• motorbike
• workmanlike
• alike
• belike
• birdlike
• catlike
• childlike
• christlike
• deathlike
• dislike