as in counterattacks
an attack made to counter an enemy's attack
the army launched a counteroffensive at dawn
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Recent Examples of counteroffensives
Russia still controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv has recently clawed back limited ground in counteroffensives.
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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
Then, Ukraine reclaimed significant ground in Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts during counteroffensives.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Initial Russian gains occurred primarily in the early months of the war, with Ukrainian counteroffensives regaining significant areas in Kharkiv and Kherson provinces.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
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
Then, Ukraine reclaimed significant ground in Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts during counteroffensives.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Initial Russian gains occurred primarily in the early months of the war, with Ukrainian counteroffensives regaining significant areas in Kharkiv and Kherson provinces.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counteroffensives
counterattacks
Noun
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Iranian counterattacks have also targeted refineries and oil fields in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.—
Gavin J. Quinton
March 10,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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More than a dozen people across several Middle Eastern nations have died in Iranian counterattacks, including at least 10 civilians in Israel.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counteroffensives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counteroffensives. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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