counteroffensive
noun
coun·ter·of·fen·sive
ˈkau̇n-tər-ə-ˌfen(t)-siv 
: a large-scale military offensive undertaken by a force previously on the defensive
Synonyms
Examples of counteroffensive in a Sentence
They mounted a counteroffensive against the enemy.
the army launched a counteroffensive at dawn
Recent Examples on the Web
Last year’s much-vaunted summer counteroffensive foundered amid muted but pointed mutual recrimination between Ukrainian officials and American backers over battle tactics.
—
Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Image Image In Ukraine’s south, where hopes of a Ukrainian counteroffensive ended in failure, the front line is only four miles from the town of Huliaipole.
—Emile Ducke Thomas Gibbons-Neff, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
In turn, Ukraine launched a series of successful counteroffensives that liberated roughly half the territory Moscow had taken.
—Dominic Tierney, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2024
In the West, overblown expectations of Kyiv’s imminent success led to widespread disappointment with the Ukrainian counteroffensive, as well as grim prognoses for the war’s future.
—Dominic Tierney, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2024
In a region that experienced widespread destruction during the invasion, then months of occupation and the Ukrainian counteroffensive, rebuilding depends on foreign cash – and, of course, the course of the war.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Mar. 2024
Now leading the country’s military through a faltering counteroffensive is Col. Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2024
Last year’s Ukrainian counteroffensive did not achieve its aims.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 28 Jan. 2024
Germany’s decision to send Leopard tanks last year did not enable Ukraine to mount a successful counteroffensive, and there are doubts about whether F-16 fighters, about to be delivered to Kyiv, will turn the battle now.
—Christopher F. Schuetze, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024
Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Image Image In Ukraine’s south, where hopes of a Ukrainian counteroffensive ended in failure, the front line is only four miles from the town of Huliaipole.
—Emile Ducke Thomas Gibbons-Neff, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
In turn, Ukraine launched a series of successful counteroffensives that liberated roughly half the territory Moscow had taken.
—Dominic Tierney, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2024
In the West, overblown expectations of Kyiv’s imminent success led to widespread disappointment with the Ukrainian counteroffensive, as well as grim prognoses for the war’s future.
—Dominic Tierney, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2024
In a region that experienced widespread destruction during the invasion, then months of occupation and the Ukrainian counteroffensive, rebuilding depends on foreign cash – and, of course, the course of the war.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Mar. 2024
Now leading the country’s military through a faltering counteroffensive is Col. Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2024
Last year’s Ukrainian counteroffensive did not achieve its aims.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 28 Jan. 2024
Germany’s decision to send Leopard tanks last year did not enable Ukraine to mount a successful counteroffensive, and there are doubts about whether F-16 fighters, about to be delivered to Kyiv, will turn the battle now.
—Christopher F. Schuetze, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counteroffensive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Counteroffensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counteroffensive. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
counteroffensive
noun
coun·ter·of·fen·sive
ˈkau̇nt-ə-rə-ˌfen(t)-siv
: a large-scale counterattack
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