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
That turnover sparked a counterattack, allowing Rogers to squeeze out a chance with an xG of 0.35 at the back post — where the absent Mendes should have been.
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Brett Koremenos, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
As Iran braces for a counterattack, the Revolutionary Guard shoots down a Ukrainian passenger plane shortly after takeoff from Tehran’s international airport, reportedly mistaking it for a U.S. cruise missile.
—Associated Press, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Yet hopes for a smooth transition were shattered last week after reports emerged of Assad loyalists conducting a series of deadly ambushes against the security forces of the interim government, followed by a sweeping counterattack by Damascus and allied militias.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
Towards the end of the 1-0 win granted by Arda Guler’s early strike, the Frenchman went to the turf after trying to start a counterattack but clashing with the opposite team’s player Luis Milla.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterattack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterattack
Noun
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Try supplements: Certain supplements, such as Riboflavin and CoQ10, can help reduce the frequency and severity of attacks.—
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Gangs control at least 85% of its capital, Port-au-Prince, and have launched attacks in the country’s central region in recent years.—
Noun
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Both countries also worked together to draft plans for military actions, including counteroffensives in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions, The New York Times added, citing interviews with officials from the U.S. and allied countries.—
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That rhetoric softened again when Ukraine's next counteroffensive, in the summer of 2023, got mired in minefields and faltered.—
Noun
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Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.—
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Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.—
Cite this Entry
“Counterattack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterattack. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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