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
Perhaps more importantly, CAA’s counterclaims accusing the agents of stealing trade secrets on their way out and starting a rival agency that masquerades as a management firm were rejected.
—
Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
The other focused on counterclaims.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2026
Baldoni, who also directed the film, filed counterclaims against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which Liman dismissed in June.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
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
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
Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
The other focused on counterclaims.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2026
Baldoni, who also directed the film, filed counterclaims against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which Liman dismissed in June.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterclaims
Noun
-
As it’s applied today, the law allows trial attorneys to prey on the state’s small and mid-sized businesses — filing frivolous, costly lawsuits over even the most minor violation of California’s complex labor code.—
Tom Manzo,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
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OpenAI is now facing seven wrongful-death lawsuits, which allege that ChatGPT prompted several suicides and a murder.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The people were lodging complaints about the government's intensifying crackdown on the internet that has seen regular shutdowns of cellphone internet connections, blocked popular messaging apps and cut access to thousands of other websites and digital services.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Lod listed several frequent complaints among Oiapoque residents, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, including overcrowded schools and the city’s only hospital operating at full capacity.—
Gabriela Sá Pessoa,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterclaims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterclaims. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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