countersue

verb

coun·​ter·​sue ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌsü How to pronounce countersue (audio)
variants or less commonly counter-sue
countersued also counter-sued also countersuing also counter-suing

transitive + intransitive

: 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
Appellant 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)

Examples of countersue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Ahead of the trial's start on March 21, Judge Holmberg lowered that amount to $300,000; Paltrow, meanwhile, countersued for the $1 and legal fees. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 2 May 2023 In January, the Port countersued Clark for more than $100 million in damages, including the bill for the gate reconfiguration and other rework. oregonlive, 8 Apr. 2023 Paltrow in response countersued for $1 and attorney fees, a symbolic action that mirrors Taylor Swift’s response to a radio host’s defamation lawsuit. Sam Metz, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Mar. 2023 Bauer denied the allegations in the court records and countersued the woman, accusing her of fraud, extortion and fabricating her pregnancy. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2023 During his deposition, Trump threatened to countersue Carroll and sue her attorney, Roberta Kaplan. Graham Kates, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2023 Trump had initially countersued James for filing the lawsuit against him. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2023 Paltrow has countersued for a symbolic $1 and attorney fees. Sam Metz, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Mar. 2023 Then, in December 2022, Rust assistant director Dave Halls countersued Baldwin and other crew members. Vulture, 14 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'countersue.' 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

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of countersue was in 1898

Dictionary Entries Near countersue

Cite this Entry

“Countersue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countersue. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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