counterclaim

Definition of counterclaimnext
as in complaint
a court case brought against the plaintiff of another court case by the defendant The defendant filed a counterclaim for his own injuries, claiming that he only rear-ended the plaintiff because she had stopped too fast.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of counterclaim Her counterclaim has asked for full payment of the $1 million contract, court costs and a declaration that the WealthRise curriculum and trademark remain the property of BlackFem and the city does not have a right to copy or distribute them or create derivative works. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 23 Dec. 2025 Fareway filed a counterclaim, and the parties agreed to dismiss the case in November. Curt Devine, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025 Claims and counterclaims and various legal motions piled up on both coasts, but the core dispute remained, more or less, constant. Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025 Mbappe’s legal side are seeking €263million (£230m; $309m) in total, while PSG have filed a counterclaim against Mbappe, asking for around €440m in damages. Tom Burrows, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for counterclaim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterclaim
Noun
  • Earlier in the night, the combative progressive suggested the results would not be known until Wednesday or later after the Texas Supreme Court blocked a Dallas judge who ordered polls to stay open two extra hours after complaints from voters who were turned away.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
  • In late 2024, the medical board received a complaint alleging that Acacio was a daily cocaine user.
    Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In the lawsuit, Valencia resident Parker Seitz alleged that off-duty deputies Randy Austin and Nicholas Hernandez, along with a third man attacked him outside a bar called the Break Room in late November 2024.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
  • The original suit was filed in 2018 by the city of Boulder and Boulder and San Miguel counties as part of a wave of lawsuits against major energy producers under state climate laws.
    Taylor Millard, Boston Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Burkle’s lawsuit against Anderson, filed last month, appears to be part of a bitter falling out between the two longtime business partners and friends, according to The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, which first reported on the litigation.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Representatives for the city and CPD declined to comment on the pending litigation.
    Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In response, Ramanujan Group filed a countersuit against Nano Banc, court papers show.
    George Avalos, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Baldoni later filed a separate $400 million countersuit accusing Lively of extortion and defamation, which has since been dismissed by a judge.
    Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Counterclaim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterclaim. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

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