counterclaim

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 These say that Honorable Justice Cavanagh has validated service of a notice of motion which sought to bring about the counterclaim. Adam Crafton, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025 At this time, the Defendants have not filed a counterclaim. Legal Entertainment, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025 Smollett then filed a counterclaim against the city. Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025 The building’s owner filed a counterclaim against Fannie Mae, accusing it of breach of contract, and breach of good faith and fair dealing. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for counterclaim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterclaim
Noun
  • By July, the department had dismissed thousands of these complaints, raising concerns about whether each case was being dutifully considered.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 15 July 2025
  • Building inspector Major construction work continues at the U.S. Federal Reserve building as U.S. President Donald Trump voices complaints about Fed Chair Jerome Powell, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 14, 2025.
    Josephine Rozzelle, CNBC, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • The lawsuit is asking the state to not require South Miami law enforcement to enter a 287(g) while also not automatically declaring a sanctuary city.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 10 July 2025
  • The lawsuit argues Act 573 violates the Establishment Clause and Free-Exercise Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
    Edward McKinnon, arkansasonline.com, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • Cramer said the pharmaceutical giant still has litigation hanging over its head.
    Julie Coleman, CNBC, 11 July 2025
  • On July 1, AMC announced an agreement with key creditors, debt holders and other lenders that offered more financial flexibility, resolved key litigation and allow the company to focus on box office upside.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • Baldoni's $400M extortion lawsuit against Lively, the Times dismissed Liman previously dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against Lively, Reynolds and the Times on June 9.
    Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 20 June 2025
  • In February of this year, Baldoni launched a website featuring the full text of his countersuit against Lively.
    EW.com, EW.com, 19 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Counterclaim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterclaim. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

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