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
Russia has launched a major counterattack in its Kursk border region, more than a month after a surprise invasion by Kyiv’s forces that turned the tables in the two-and-a-half-year war.
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Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2024
Tuesday's counterattack suggested Russia is now finally seeking to turn the tables and begin trying to push Ukraine back.
—Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2024
In 1973, Syrian forces reconquered the Golan Heights in a surprise attack, before Israel’s counterattack reclaimed it.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 30 July 2024
Videos compiled by the Ukrainian 101st Guard Brigade in early October seem to depict the initial phase of the counterattack.
—David Axe, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for counterattack 
Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2024
Tuesday's counterattack suggested Russia is now finally seeking to turn the tables and begin trying to push Ukraine back.
—Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2024
In 1973, Syrian forces reconquered the Golan Heights in a surprise attack, before Israel’s counterattack reclaimed it.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 30 July 2024
Videos compiled by the Ukrainian 101st Guard Brigade in early October seem to depict the initial phase of the counterattack.
—David Axe, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for counterattack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterattack
Noun
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For the most part, Israel’s response to Hamas’s devastating October 7 attack was confined to the Gaza Strip.Carrie A. Lee, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024
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Episodes often feature logistically complex armed attacks, guided from afar by the top brass, played by the likes of Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, Jennifer Ehle, and Bruce McGill.Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Following the unsuccessful counteroffensive in the summer of 2023, Ukrainian officials interpreted the increasingly negative assessments of the war in the U.S. media as a sign that Washington’s military assistance might shrink.Nataliya Gumenyuk, Foreign Affairs, 15 Nov. 2024
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The month the Ukrainian counteroffensive started in September 2022 saw the highest tally of Russian equipment losses of 1,179 units linked to the retreat from Kharkiv.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.Jacky Wong, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
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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.Reuters, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near counterattack
Cite this Entry
“Counterattack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterattack. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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