counterattack
noun
coun·ter·at·tack
ˈkau̇n-tər-ə-ˌtak 
variants
or counter-attack
plural counterattacks or counter-attacks
: an attack made in response to or in defense against an attack made by another
a series of attacks and counterattacks
Iraqi forces are advancing into the city of Fallujah, repelling a counter-attack by the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) on Tuesday …—
Jack Moore
Jack Moore
counterattack
verb, transitive + intransitive
or counter-attack
counterattacked or counter-attacked; counterattacking or counter-attacking
Syrian rebels including jihadists counter-attacked the army and its allies on Friday aiming to break a weeks-long siege on eastern Aleppo, insurgents said.
—Ellen Francis and Angus McDowall
Ellen Francis and Angus McDowall
counterattacker
noun
or counter-attacker
plural counterattackers or counter-attackers
Finally, the big man, bleeding profusely, succeeded in throwing his counterattacker off him.
—Andrew M. Greeley
Andrew M. Greeley
Synonyms
Examples of counterattack in a Sentence
suddenly the tide of battle turned, and the rebels, who had been falling back, made a furious counterattack
Recent Examples on the Web
Israel’s counterattack has killed some 35,000 Gazans, according to Hamas officials who don’t distinguish between civilians and fighters.
—Ethan Bronner / Bloomberg, TIME, 27 May 2024
Verhaeghe’s goal, his team-leading eighth of the playoffs, capped a steady Panthers counterattack after the Rangers dominated the opening minutes of play.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 May 2024
Owen Scott put the Cardinals on the scoreboard with 2:51 left in the first quarter but a pair of goals by midfielder James Meyer and one by defender George Guyton during a quick counterattack in the second quarter pushed Gilman’s lead to 6-1 heading into halftime.
—James Peters, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2024
The industrialists had been blowing people up or dismembering them long before the anarchists launched their counterattacks.
—Steven Johnson, New York Times, 17 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for counterattack 
Ethan Bronner / Bloomberg, TIME, 27 May 2024
Verhaeghe’s goal, his team-leading eighth of the playoffs, capped a steady Panthers counterattack after the Rangers dominated the opening minutes of play.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 May 2024
Owen Scott put the Cardinals on the scoreboard with 2:51 left in the first quarter but a pair of goals by midfielder James Meyer and one by defender George Guyton during a quick counterattack in the second quarter pushed Gilman’s lead to 6-1 heading into halftime.
—James Peters, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2024
The industrialists had been blowing people up or dismembering them long before the anarchists launched their counterattacks.
—Steven Johnson, New York Times, 17 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for counterattack
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counterattack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near counterattack
Cite this Entry
“Counterattack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterattack. Accessed 5 Jun. 2024.
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