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
Damages were denied in the case, but the court left the possibility that Lively can seek additional damages through another lawsuit or counterclaim open.
—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
12 June 2026
Netgear’s counterclaim reiterates long-standing concerns that the Chinese government could secretly use TP-Link to spy on the US.
—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
The company filed a counterclaim against Motiwalla denying the allegations.
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Angie Dimichele,
Sun Sentinel,
8 June 2026
And in March, van Keulen dismissed one of the Mountain West’s counterclaims against the Pac-12 but ruled two others could proceed to trial, most notably the tortious interference claims.
—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterclaim
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
12 June 2026
Netgear’s counterclaim reiterates long-standing concerns that the Chinese government could secretly use TP-Link to spy on the US.
—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
The company filed a counterclaim against Motiwalla denying the allegations.
—
Angie Dimichele,
Sun Sentinel,
8 June 2026
And in March, van Keulen dismissed one of the Mountain West’s counterclaims against the Pac-12 but ruled two others could proceed to trial, most notably the tortious interference claims.
—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterclaim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterclaim
Noun
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The case was initiated in August by an asylum-seeker from Guatemala who was arrested after leaving a routine immigration hearing in San Francisco and then held without access to adequate hygiene, sanitation, medical care and legal advice, according to the complaint.
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On behalf of Aliya Rahman, the MacArthur Justice Center and a civil rights law firm filed a complaint with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, requesting an investigation.
Noun
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But a federal appeals court reversed that decision, ruling the Voting Rights Act can only be enforced by the federal government and not through lawsuits brought by individual voters or groups.
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The San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club joined the lawsuit last month.
Noun
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But so long as the rules aren’t bargained with a union and so long as member schools undermine their own association, the litigation risk won’t go away.
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This litigation is part of much broader debate over where guns may be permitted or prohibited.
Noun
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In July 2023, Allen filed a countersuit against both of his accusers.
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In January 2025, Baldoni and Wayfarer filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times, over claims of civil extortion, defamation and false light.
Cite this Entry
“Counterclaim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterclaim. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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