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
W. J. Hennigan and Brian BennettExamples of counterstrike in a Sentence
after countless strikes and counterstrikes, the positions of both armies remained essentially unchanged
Recent Examples on the Web
And recently, Israeli spies and pilots have managed to cripple Iranian counterstrike capabilities.
—Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 17 June 2025
Iran’s counterstrikes at Israel and the widening of the domestic damage in each country suggests that a much longer attritional struggle to induce regime change by each side is on the cards.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Iran launched counterstrikes on Israel as evening fell over Tel Aviv, some of the missiles breaking through the Iron Dome and hitting targets in the city as officials urged Israeli citizens to remain in bomb shelters.
—Peter Aitken
tom O'Connor Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Though the conflict has taken a toll (Iran’s indiscriminate ballistic missile attacks have killed dozens of Israelis and injured hundreds more), the Iranian counterstrikes have not destroyed any significant strategic targets.
—The Editors, National Review, 18 June 2025
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Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 17 June 2025
Iran’s counterstrikes at Israel and the widening of the domestic damage in each country suggests that a much longer attritional struggle to induce regime change by each side is on the cards.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Iran launched counterstrikes on Israel as evening fell over Tel Aviv, some of the missiles breaking through the Iron Dome and hitting targets in the city as officials urged Israeli citizens to remain in bomb shelters.
—Peter Aitken
tom O'Connor Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Though the conflict has taken a toll (Iran’s indiscriminate ballistic missile attacks have killed dozens of Israelis and injured hundreds more), the Iranian counterstrikes have not destroyed any significant strategic targets.
—The Editors, National Review, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterstrike
Cite this Entry
“Counterstrike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterstrike. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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