counterstrike

noun

coun·​ter·​strike ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌstrīk How to pronounce counterstrike (audio)
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

Examples of counterstrike in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But the uptick in militia attacks and the scale of U.S. counterstrikes – which sparked outrage among Iraqi officials – have effectively stalled U.S.-Iraqi talks underway prior to Oct. 7 that were progressing toward a long-term American withdrawal plan. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Feb. 2024 The French government, which has offered its support for Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed over 1,400 people, organized the conference after Israeli counterstrikes left thousands displaced, wounded or dead. James Hookway, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2023 In a statement following the Oct. 26 American counterstrikes, Austin blamed the Iranian regime for the attacks on U.S. forces, and vowed further action if the aggression were to continue. Matt Seyler, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2023 Releasing its latest national security strategy in December 2022, Japan announced its intention to acquire new missile counterstrike capabilities. David M. Finkelstein, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2023 The Columbia class will replace the older Ohio-class submarines in the nuclear triad, with each submarine capable of responding to a surprise attack with a devastating thermonuclear counterstrike. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 11 Nov. 2020 In recent days, Hezbollah began to launch more sophisticated anti-tank missiles into Israel’s north, testing previous Israeli redlines; Israel has responded with counterstrikes on targets in southern Lebanon. Dalia Dassa Kaye, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2023 Since Gaza City is more densely populated than Tel Aviv and other major cities around the world such as London and Shanghai, targeted counterstrikes like the ones Israel launched in recent days have a high likelihood of hitting civilians. Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2023 On the Palestinian side, the Gaza Ministry of Health is reporting 590 deaths and nearly 2,900 injured in the Israeli counterstrikes. Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counterstrike.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterstrike was in 1851

Dictionary Entries Near counterstrike

Cite this Entry

“Counterstrike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterstrike. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!