as in attack
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of counterattack
Oliver Glasner’s side took the lead in the first half at Wembley Stadium in London when Eberechi Eze finished off a customary Crystal Palace counterattack.
—
Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
However, if Iran is successful in a counterattack, Israel would likely strike back with even greater force, and other countries may decide to get involved.
—Mike Patton, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Russia, meanwhile, is expected to launch a counterattack against Ukraine, a plan Trump confirmed on Wednesday after speaking by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 4 June 2025
Chelsea then added another late goal on the break with Moisés Caicedo finishing off a lightning-fast counterattack.
—Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterattack
Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
However, if Iran is successful in a counterattack, Israel would likely strike back with even greater force, and other countries may decide to get involved.
—Mike Patton, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Russia, meanwhile, is expected to launch a counterattack against Ukraine, a plan Trump confirmed on Wednesday after speaking by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 4 June 2025
Chelsea then added another late goal on the break with Moisés Caicedo finishing off a lightning-fast counterattack.
—Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterattack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterattack
Noun
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Iran, previously saying its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes, has hit back with waves of missile attacks on Israel.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 June 2025
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Kernodle received a delivery less than 10 minutes before the attack, which happened just after 4 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Many were deployed to Russia's Kursk region where Ukraine has been conducting a counteroffensive.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
24 Feb. 2025
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Both countries also worked together to draft plans for military actions, including counteroffensives in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions, The New York Times added, citing interviews with officials from the U.S. and allied countries.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.—
Jacky Wong,
WSJ,
6 Feb. 2023
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Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
31 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Counterattack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterattack. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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