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.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of counterclaims
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterclaims
Noun
-
The decision to close the camp for the summer does not change the pending lawsuits nor the open criminal investigation being conducted by the Texas Rangers.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
-
The door opened for college athletes to profit from NIL in 2020 after a pair of lawsuits favored Division 1 athletes and the NCAA began regulating it.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
If the bill passes, DDPHE would have authority under the bill and Denver's Revised Municipal Code to address public health risks when products appear misbranded, when complaints are received, or when an outbreak is suspected.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
Florida’s Board of Medicine reviews sensitive medical material involving practitioner complaints and their members’ names are public.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterclaims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterclaims. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
