as in complaint
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.
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Recent Examples of counterclaim
Fareway filed a counterclaim, and the parties agreed to dismiss the case in November.
—
Curt Devine, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Claims and counterclaims and various legal motions piled up on both coasts, but the core dispute remained, more or less, constant.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
Mbappe’s legal side are seeking €263million (£230m; $309m) in total, while PSG have filed a counterclaim against Mbappe, asking for around €440m in damages.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025
Now the Hancock County winery has filed a counterclaim alleging unfair treatment.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterclaim
Curt Devine, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Claims and counterclaims and various legal motions piled up on both coasts, but the core dispute remained, more or less, constant.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
Mbappe’s legal side are seeking €263million (£230m; $309m) in total, while PSG have filed a counterclaim against Mbappe, asking for around €440m in damages.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025
Now the Hancock County winery has filed a counterclaim alleging unfair treatment.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterclaim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterclaim
Noun
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That was despite Kaley’s mother’s attempts to use third-party software to block access to the platforms, according to her complaint.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
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In 2021, the phone call from Rhoades at the insurance department described 50-plus complaints.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Success will be measured by agreements and judgments that resolve big lawsuits, but also by changes in corporate behavior that leave consumers less vulnerable to manipulation and predation.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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The men, who denied any wrongdoing, filed retaliatory defamation lawsuits—turning their accusers’ accounts over to the court of public opinion.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Doctors will become more cautious about treating pregnant women for fear of costly litigation.—
Eleanor Sobel,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
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Bharara wrote that Slotkin's constitutional rights had been infringed and said litigation is being considered.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In response, Ramanujan Group filed a countersuit against Nano Banc, court papers show.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Baldoni later filed a separate $400 million countersuit accusing Lively of extortion and defamation, which has since been dismissed by a judge.—
Elizabeth Rosner,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterclaim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterclaim. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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