as in counterattack
an attack made to counter an enemy's attack
the army launched a counteroffensive at dawn
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Recent Examples of counteroffensive
Iran has been firing missiles at Israel and Arab states in a counteroffensive since the joint America-Israeli attack Saturday that killed Khamenei and many top Iranian officials.
—
Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for counteroffensive
Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for counteroffensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counteroffensive
counterattack
Noun
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Les Grenadiers led at halftime after a gritty 45 minutes with many dangerous runs on the counterattack, and some late arriving fans were still pouring into the parking lots as the second half began.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
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And Addie McCain added a late insurance goal on the counterattack to seal the victory and one of the most dramatic title runs in recent women’s soccer memory.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counteroffensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counteroffensive. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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