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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of counterattack Sporting seemed to recover as Acosta and Petar Musa went on a counterattack, but the SKC defenders got caught ball-watching and didn’t recognize the late run by Acosta. Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2025 The Blues created a couple of decent looks on the counterattack, and Vancouver was sloppy recovering in the defensive end. Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025 Key to these – at least in my case as a switch axe wielder – is a counterattack system that requires timing specific attacks just as your fierce foe is about to strike. Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025 Under heavy attack from North Vietnamese forces, Rogers was wounded three times but continued directing artillery fire and leading counterattacks until the enemy was repelled. David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for counterattack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterattack
Noun
  • In March, two days of U.S. attacks killed more than 50 people, Houthi officials said.
    USA Today, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The company highlights one type of attack that is now targeting users and which is especially dangerous.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The TikTok trend appears to be a strategic digital counteroffensive, giving Chinese producers a platform to reach U.S. consumers directly while sidestepping both tariffs and middlemen.
    Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
  • By late summer, Zelenskyy's forces had begun their own counteroffensive into Kursk, a Russian border region, a surprise move that put Moscow on its back foot.
    Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.
    Jacky Wong, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
  • 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.
    Reuters, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Counterattack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterattack. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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