countersue
verb
coun·ter·sue
ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌsü 
variants
or less commonly counter-sue
countersued also counter-sued also countersuing also counter-suing
: to sue (someone) in return : to bring a counterclaim against someone
They were dissuaded from suing one another because they knew their target likely had patents that covered similar territory and they could be countersued quickly—the legal equivalent of mutually assured destruction.—
Steven Levy
Steven LevyAppellant countersued, alleging that respondent's interest charges were usurious and that he had breached his fiduciary duty to her.—Peterson v. Gustafson, 584 N.W. 2d 660 (1998)
Peterson v. Gustafson, 584 N.W. 2d 660 (1998)Examples of countersue in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Earlier this year, OpenAI countersued Musk, alleging the billionaire was running malicious campaigns against the company.
—Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Some of the companies have countersued the creditor, Cornerstone Payment Systems Inc, for alleged usury and unjust enrichment.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh
naveed Jamali, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Fletcher, who countersued her for defamation last year, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
Gordon predicted Democrats would countersue Abbott in federal court using the First Amendment, 14th Amendment, and due process, but that, like the governor’s abandonment threat, would lead to prolonged litigation.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for countersue
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Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Some of the companies have countersued the creditor, Cornerstone Payment Systems Inc, for alleged usury and unjust enrichment.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh
naveed Jamali, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Fletcher, who countersued her for defamation last year, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
Gordon predicted Democrats would countersue Abbott in federal court using the First Amendment, 14th Amendment, and due process, but that, like the governor’s abandonment threat, would lead to prolonged litigation.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for countersue
Cite this Entry
“Countersue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countersue. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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