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
Nine days after being sued for $237,588 in back rent in November 2024, Ninja Leisure Denver countersued Legacy, a private equity firm, for negligence at 7150 Leetsdale Drive.
—Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2025
Wilson then countersued her producers, accusing them of misappropriating $900,000 in Australian currency and expanding on the claim that The Deb star Charlotte MacInnes came to Wilson with an allegation about Ghost, which Wilson was later punished for reporting.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2025
In November 2024, CBS countersued, arguing that Sony had created a false pretext in order to get out of the 42-year-old King World distribution contract.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
The owners countersued before both cases were dropped.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for countersue
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Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2025
Wilson then countersued her producers, accusing them of misappropriating $900,000 in Australian currency and expanding on the claim that The Deb star Charlotte MacInnes came to Wilson with an allegation about Ghost, which Wilson was later punished for reporting.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2025
In November 2024, CBS countersued, arguing that Sony had created a false pretext in order to get out of the 42-year-old King World distribution contract.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
The owners countersued before both cases were dropped.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 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 29 Nov. 2025.
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