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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Recent Examples of counterclaim
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
Now the Hancock County winery has filed a counterclaim alleging unfair treatment.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 13 Nov. 2025
Brad Hall, 48, charges in a counterclaim that his wife has been carrying on an extramarital affair.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2025
The court dismissed those counterclaims.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterclaim
Tom Burrows, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025
Now the Hancock County winery has filed a counterclaim alleging unfair treatment.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 13 Nov. 2025
Brad Hall, 48, charges in a counterclaim that his wife has been carrying on an extramarital affair.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2025
The court dismissed those counterclaims.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterclaim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterclaim
Noun
-
Until Verizon amends its complaint and the judge rules on the emergency request, there is no court directive preventing the association from moving forward with the rooftop work that Verizon says would interrupt wireless service in the area.—
David Hudnall,
Kansas City Star,
6 Jan. 2026
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Beyond the service commitments, the complaint accuses HMM of conditioning access to space on the payment of peak season surcharges (PSS) and other extra-contractual fees—despite contract language that expressly barred such add-ons unless mutually agreed.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The township is arguing that state law regarding government employee protections against lawsuits conflicts with federal court rulings.—
Laura A. Bischoff,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
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The lawsuit further alleges she was served alcohol despite being underage.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The secret decision led to public backlash and the threat of litigation.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
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Mark focused solely on litigation and client intake, while Alexis managed pre-litigation and negotiations.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Fechters have filed a countersuit, claiming the lawsuit is part of a broader effort to shut down the facility.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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The company has also filed a countersuit denying allegations of wrongdoing, while claiming over $116 million in damages and lost profits.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counterclaim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterclaim. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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