counterattack
noun
coun·ter·at·tack
ˈkau̇n-tər-ə-ˌtak 
variants
or counter-attack
plural counterattacks or counter-attacks
: an attack made in response to or in defense against an attack made by another
a series of attacks and counterattacks
Iraqi forces are advancing into the city of Fallujah, repelling a counter-attack by the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) on Tuesday …—
Jack Moore
Jack Moore
counterattack
verb, transitive + intransitive
or counter-attack
counterattacked or counter-attacked; counterattacking or counter-attacking
Syrian rebels including jihadists counter-attacked the army and its allies on Friday aiming to break a weeks-long siege on eastern Aleppo, insurgents said.
—Ellen Francis and Angus McDowall
Ellen Francis and Angus McDowall
counterattacker
noun
or counter-attacker
plural counterattackers or counter-attackers
Finally, the big man, bleeding profusely, succeeded in throwing his counterattacker off him.
—Andrew M. Greeley
Andrew M. Greeley
Examples of counterattack in a Sentence
suddenly the tide of battle turned, and the rebels, who had been falling back, made a furious counterattack
Recent Examples on the Web
In December 2025, the Khartiia Corps led a counterattack in the Kupiansk direction, liberating several villages north of the city and pushing to the Oskil River.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
The View From Republicans The GOP’s counterattack started even before Spanberger won.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
The most dramatic came in the first period, when Jimmy Snuggerud picked off DeMelo’s stretch pass and started an aggressive Blues counterattack.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Senior forward Amanda Ratz, a first-year varsity player, hustled to get to the ball, and then the Huskies were off to the races on a counterattack.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterattack
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ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
The View From Republicans The GOP’s counterattack started even before Spanberger won.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
The most dramatic came in the first period, when Jimmy Snuggerud picked off DeMelo’s stretch pass and started an aggressive Blues counterattack.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Senior forward Amanda Ratz, a first-year varsity player, hustled to get to the ball, and then the Huskies were off to the races on a counterattack.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterattack
Cite this Entry
“Counterattack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterattack. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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