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
In April 2026, the defendants filed counterclaims of their own against the investors.
—
Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 17 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
Nathan, Abel, and Wayfarer filed counterclaims against Jones.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 14 May 2026
Their arguments are now moving forward as counterclaims under the umbrella of the QBE lawsuit.
—Tess Riski
april 14, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
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
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
Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 17 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
Nathan, Abel, and Wayfarer filed counterclaims against Jones.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 14 May 2026
Their arguments are now moving forward as counterclaims under the umbrella of the QBE lawsuit.
—Tess Riski
april 14, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterclaims
Noun
-
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.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
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Sony Music, which owns SZA’s label RCA Records, is also in active litigation against Suno and competitor Udio, though labels Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group have settled their lawsuits against the music generators.—
Corbin Bolies,
Variety,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
Just three months into his tenure, North Miami Beach City Manager Darvin Williams is facing multiple legal challenges from current and former employees, including lawsuits and federal complaints alleging workplace misconduct, retaliation and wrongful employment actions.—
Chelsea Jones,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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The office investigates complaints filed by students, parents and advocacy groups alleging civil rights violations at schools, colleges and universities that receive federal money.—
Alia Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterclaims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterclaims. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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