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
Then a Ukrainian counterattack forced them back across the Dnieper River.
—Ken Harbaugh, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
That’s in part due to throwing all the chips in the middle and not being ready for counterattacks.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
Players need to keep a careful eye on the sometimes small animation cues that presage an attack, move quickly and precisely to avoid that specific attack, and then dart back in during a quick counterattack window to do some damage before starting the cycle over again.
—ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
After the ensuing corner, Sporting didn’t take a foul to stop Austin FC from breaking on a counterattack.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterattack
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Ken Harbaugh, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
That’s in part due to throwing all the chips in the middle and not being ready for counterattacks.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
Players need to keep a careful eye on the sometimes small animation cues that presage an attack, move quickly and precisely to avoid that specific attack, and then dart back in during a quick counterattack window to do some damage before starting the cycle over again.
—ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
After the ensuing corner, Sporting didn’t take a foul to stop Austin FC from breaking on a counterattack.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterattack
Cite this Entry
“Counterattack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterattack. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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