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

• 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

The worst-case scenarios are dire: A cycle of Israeli and Iranian counterstrikes that draw in the U.S., Iran’s non-state allies, and regional states, cause grievous harm to civilians on all sides, and inject profound uncertainty into global markets. —Ali Vaez, Time, 14 June 2025

The United States led a regional coalition to shoot down practically all of Iran’s missiles, and Israeli counterstrikes destroyed much of Iran’s air defenses. —Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 24 June 2025

Trump, meanwhile, also indicated the U.S. wouldn’t seek to escalate any military action after Iran launched counterstrikes on Monday against a U.S. military base in Qatar. —Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025

And recently, Israeli spies and pilots have managed to cripple Iranian counterstrike capabilities. —Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 17 June 2025

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