counterplot

1 of 2

noun

coun·​ter·​plot ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌplät How to pronounce counterplot (audio)
: a plot designed to thwart an opponent's plot

counterplot

2 of 2

verb

counterplotted; counterplotting; counterplots

transitive verb

: to intrigue against : foil with a plot

Examples of counterplot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The web of secrets and confessions, schemes and counterplots, short-term pleasures and far-reaching decisions, are couched in dialogue that is pugnacious, vulnerable, comedic, and sometimes richly poetic, and which feels as spontaneous as it is carefully crafted. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2025 Bit by bit, the castle at Elsinore (broodingly rendered by scenic designer Lee Savage) turns into a stage for life-and-death plots and counterplots. Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 31 July 2019 There’s something comforting about the normalcy of plot and counterplot, action and intrigue. Mike Hale, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1662, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterplot was circa 1611

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Cite this Entry

“Counterplot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterplot. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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