as in lawsuits
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 counterclaims
Worse, Paramount’s fraud and copyright infringement counterclaims—alleging Gray deliberately hid his participation (which Gray denies)—were greenlit for trial.
—
Tom Dotan, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
In his counterclaims against Stalcup, the former analyst accused of stealing and doctoring documents alleges the 2023 capital calls used misleading statements to get people to pitch in.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 16 Feb. 2026
Steven Cooper, the lead lawyer for PleasrDAO, blasted Shkreli’s counterclaims.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 3 Feb. 2026
The management firm later filed counterclaims against CAA over its use of noncompetes.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
Claims and counterclaims and various legal motions piled up on both coasts, but the core dispute remained, more or less, constant.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
The court dismissed those counterclaims.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 6 Nov. 2025
The team's counterclaims include defamation, civil conspiracy, tortious interference and breach of contract.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
The Jane the Virgin alum’s counterclaims against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which involved allegations of extortion and defamation, were dismissed by Judge Liman in June.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Tom Dotan, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
In his counterclaims against Stalcup, the former analyst accused of stealing and doctoring documents alleges the 2023 capital calls used misleading statements to get people to pitch in.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 16 Feb. 2026
Steven Cooper, the lead lawyer for PleasrDAO, blasted Shkreli’s counterclaims.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 3 Feb. 2026
The management firm later filed counterclaims against CAA over its use of noncompetes.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
Claims and counterclaims and various legal motions piled up on both coasts, but the core dispute remained, more or less, constant.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
The court dismissed those counterclaims.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 6 Nov. 2025
The team's counterclaims include defamation, civil conspiracy, tortious interference and breach of contract.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
The Jane the Virgin alum’s counterclaims against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which involved allegations of extortion and defamation, were dismissed by Judge Liman in June.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterclaims
Noun
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This article quotes from and is based largely on records from three lawsuits against formula manufacturers that went to trial in 2024 and are now on appeal.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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Then, as in many other lawsuits like Sierra’s, the city suddenly wanted to settle.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Judging from the volume and tenor of user complaints, weather might be second only to social media as a space in need of fresh disruption.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
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The most common complaints from Hers reviewers on Trustpilot and the BBB involve frustrations around figuring out how to cancel a subscription, shipping delays and the strict return policy (with refunds rarely given).—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterclaims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterclaims. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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