as in counterattack
an attack made to counter an enemy's attack
the army launched a counteroffensive at dawn
Synonyms & Similar 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 counteroffensive
The government has conducted a counteroffensive since January with aerial bombardments and ground assaults, despite an official commitment to the peace agreement.
—
ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Russia still controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv has recently clawed back limited ground in counteroffensives.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Dynamic shifts on the battlefield — with large swaths of Ukrainian land changing hands in offensives and counteroffensives in the early years of the war — have since given way to a conflict of inches.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
Diluted striking force The 2023 counteroffensive drew widespread criticism from military experts for being too ambitious and coming too late, giving Russian forces time to fortify positions.
—Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counteroffensive
ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Russia still controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv has recently clawed back limited ground in counteroffensives.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Dynamic shifts on the battlefield — with large swaths of Ukrainian land changing hands in offensives and counteroffensives in the early years of the war — have since given way to a conflict of inches.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
Diluted striking force The 2023 counteroffensive drew widespread criticism from military experts for being too ambitious and coming too late, giving Russian forces time to fortify positions.
—Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counteroffensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counteroffensive
counterattack
Noun
-
The American-Israeli military campaign set off a series of attacks and counterattacks that have hit or threatened several Gulf nations.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Iran’s counterattacks have targeted not just Israel, but also the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, and Lebanon, among others.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counteroffensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counteroffensive. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
