as in attack
an attack made to counter an enemy's attack
suddenly the tide of battle turned, and the rebels, who had been falling back, made a furious counterattack
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Recent Examples of counterattack
Anaheim scored the lone goal of the opening 40 minutes on a counterattack early in the second period.
—
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
Ukrainian units then respond with a direct counterattack to push this second wave back.
—Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
In response, the provincial governor, Juan de Oñate, consulted with Franciscan priests and then ordered a counterattack.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
The attack resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and Israel’s counterattack campaign has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, according to PBS News which cites figures from the Gaza Health Ministry.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterattack
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
Ukrainian units then respond with a direct counterattack to push this second wave back.
—Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
In response, the provincial governor, Juan de Oñate, consulted with Franciscan priests and then ordered a counterattack.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
The attack resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and Israel’s counterattack campaign has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, according to PBS News which cites figures from the Gaza Health Ministry.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterattack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterattack
Noun
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Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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The administration’s attacks on Lemon and independent journalists have boosted their online attention and revenue.—
Drew Harwell,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The crypto industry has launched a counteroffensive, arguing that rewards are necessary to allow stablecoins to effectively compete and accusing the banks of attempting to entrench their current position.—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
15 Jan. 2026
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Trehubov said a recent Ukrainian counteroffensive further disrupted Russian efforts to stabilize the front.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
26 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Both Beijing and Hong Kong’s government have repeatedly rejected international criticism of Lai’s prosecution and dismissed accusations that his jailing was politically motivated or an assault on press freedom.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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Another 43,000 arrestees are listed as having assault charges or convictions.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterattack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterattack. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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