as in counterattack
an attack made to counter an enemy's attack
the army launched a counteroffensive at dawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 counteroffensive
Iran has been firing missiles at Israel and Arab states in a counteroffensive since the joint America-Israeli attack Saturday that killed Khamenei and many top Iranian officials.
—
Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
The government has conducted a counteroffensive since January with aerial bombardments and ground assaults, despite an official commitment to the peace agreement.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Russia still controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv has recently clawed back limited ground in counteroffensives.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Dynamic shifts on the battlefield — with large swaths of Ukrainian land changing hands in offensives and counteroffensives in the early years of the war — have since given way to a conflict of inches.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counteroffensive
Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
The government has conducted a counteroffensive since January with aerial bombardments and ground assaults, despite an official commitment to the peace agreement.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Russia still controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv has recently clawed back limited ground in counteroffensives.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Dynamic shifts on the battlefield — with large swaths of Ukrainian land changing hands in offensives and counteroffensives in the early years of the war — have since given way to a conflict of inches.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counteroffensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counteroffensive
counterattack
Noun
-
Soon after having a goal ruled out for offside, Stuttgart pulled level in the 70th when Undav finished off a counterattack for his 24th club goal of the season.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The View From Republicans The GOP’s counterattack started even before Spanberger won.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counteroffensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counteroffensive. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
