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
But his previously unreported warning was the first of a torrent of claims and counterclaims shared by conservative commentators after Kirk’s death.
—
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Nelson has since filed copyright counterclaims of her own, alleging a third party connected to Taylor posted her images without permission.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2026
In a counterclaim, Giles attorney said Martha Jefferson overcharged her.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
The counterclaim also includes several other complaints, including breach of fiduciary duty, fraud by omission, and interference with prospective business relations.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterclaim
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Nelson has since filed copyright counterclaims of her own, alleging a third party connected to Taylor posted her images without permission.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2026
In a counterclaim, Giles attorney said Martha Jefferson overcharged her.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
The counterclaim also includes several other complaints, including breach of fiduciary duty, fraud by omission, and interference with prospective business relations.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterclaim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterclaim
Noun
-
Police Chief Jason Bonace is not named as a defendant, but the complaint argues civil service rules were violated to promote him from K-9 officer to police chief.—
Jennifer Borrasso,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Cops have no control over false complaints being filed against him, the lawsuit states.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Their meteoric rise in just the last year is deeply troubling, and state Attorney General Nick Brown is right to have filed a recent lawsuit to stop Kalshi, one of the largest markets, from operating in Washington state.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Jada Pinkett Smith is seeking $49,000 in legal fees from her husband’s former best friend of 40 years after winning dismissal of his $3 million lawsuit.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In that litigation, which has to do with the withholding of records in the case, a deputy city attorney and a San Diego police captain claimed on March 16 that the incident was still under review by the district attorney’s office for potential prosecution of the involved officers.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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The department declined to comment on the pending litigation.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Baldoni later filed a $400 million countersuit against the Gossip Girl actress, her husband Ryan Reynolds,49, , publicist Leslie Sloane and Sloane’s PR firm, alleging defamation and breach of contract, the case was dismissed by Judge Liman in June 2025.—
Elizabeth Rosner,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
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The countersuit asked for at least $1 million in damages.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterclaim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterclaim. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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