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
Assad's government has continued to express confidence in its ability to mount a counterattack against the rebels with the aid of its allies, including Russia, whose warplanes continue to strike insurgents.
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Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
On Wednesday, state-run media reported the Syrian army had clawed back some territory in Hama and was planning a counterattack.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
Now the question is whether the rebels can keep the pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad, or whether his army can hold the line and mount a counterattack.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 3 Dec. 2024
Leicester are playing narrower under Cooper, with less space between the three central defenders, to negate the threat of the counterattack if possession is turned over.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for counterattack 
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
On Wednesday, state-run media reported the Syrian army had clawed back some territory in Hama and was planning a counterattack.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
Now the question is whether the rebels can keep the pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad, or whether his army can hold the line and mount a counterattack.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 3 Dec. 2024
Leicester are playing narrower under Cooper, with less space between the three central defenders, to negate the threat of the counterattack if possession is turned over.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for counterattack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterattack
Noun
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Russian authorities have clamped down on migration following a terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall concert hall in the Moscow region, which killed 145 people, and injured around 500.George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
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The Treasury brought in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency immediately after being notified of the attack, with the remaining agencies, the FBI, intelligence community and third-party forensic investigators, contacted upon realization of the extent of the attack itself.Davey Winder, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In September 2022, Ukrainian forces launched a successful counteroffensive in northern Kharkiv region.Katya Soldak, Forbes, 19 Nov. 2024
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Analysts believe that Ukraine is unlikely to start a major counteroffensive this year, choosing instead to spend the time reconstituting its forces.Josh Holder, New York Times, 22 Apr. 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 4 Jan. 2025.
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