variants
or counter-attacks
as in attacks
an attack made to counter an enemy's attack
suddenly the tide of battle turned, and the rebels, who had been falling back, made a furious counterattack
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Recent Examples of counterattacks
Zelenskyy said late Monday that counterattacks by Ukrainian forces at eastern and southern points along the front line have wrecked Moscow's plans for a March offensive.
—
ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Swift and punishing counterattacks.
—Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 15 Mar. 2026
Iranian counterattacks have also targeted refineries and oil fields in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
—Gavin J. Quinton
march 10, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
More than a dozen people across several Middle Eastern nations have died in Iranian counterattacks, including at least 10 civilians in Israel.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
The American-Israeli military campaign set off a series of attacks and counterattacks that have hit or threatened several Gulf nations.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 Mar. 2026
Iran’s counterattacks have targeted not just Israel, but also the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, and Lebanon, among others.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
The militias have sustained casualties in counterattacks.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
Tel Aviv has been the target of Iranian counterattacks.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Swift and punishing counterattacks.
—Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 15 Mar. 2026
Iranian counterattacks have also targeted refineries and oil fields in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
—Gavin J. Quinton
march 10, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
More than a dozen people across several Middle Eastern nations have died in Iranian counterattacks, including at least 10 civilians in Israel.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
The American-Israeli military campaign set off a series of attacks and counterattacks that have hit or threatened several Gulf nations.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 Mar. 2026
Iran’s counterattacks have targeted not just Israel, but also the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, and Lebanon, among others.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
The militias have sustained casualties in counterattacks.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
Tel Aviv has been the target of Iranian counterattacks.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterattacks
Noun
-
According to Fairbanks, who moved to South Africa from the United States more than fifteen years ago, attacks on farms appear to be mostly economically motivated crimes.—
Boyce Upholt,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, Iran continued its daily attacks on oil and other infrastructure across the Gulf.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Russia still controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv has recently clawed back limited ground in counteroffensives.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
24 Feb. 2026
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Dynamic shifts on the battlefield — with large swaths of Ukrainian land changing hands in offensives and counteroffensives in the early years of the war — have since given way to a conflict of inches.—
Joanna Kakissis,
NPR,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But these units have traditionally been used for missions like large-scale evacuations and amphibious operations that require ship-to-shore movements, including raids and assaults.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
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When the novel came out, a great many citizens of Barcelona had experienced baton charges and vicious police attacks—assaults that were ongoing even as the book was being written and when it was published.—
Colm Tóibín,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the meantime, Iran has launched counterstrikes on neighboring countries.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
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Additionally, the Iranian military has targeted oil fields and refineries in the Gulf states in their counterstrikes, causing major disruptions to their export industries.—
Sarah Davis,
The Hill,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterattacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterattacks. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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