counterassault
noun
coun·ter·as·sault
ˌkau̇n-tər-ə-ˈsȯlt 
variants
or less commonly counter-assault
plural counterassaults also counter-assaults
: an assault undertaken in response to or in defense against an assault made by another
launching counterassaults against the enemy
… Army Rangers mounted a counter-assault, killing the terrorists and rescuing more than 900 kids and teachers.—
Dale Neal
Dale NealSynonyms
Examples of counterassault in a Sentence
a feeble counterassault that proved to be entirely futile
Recent Examples on the Web
The Israeli counterassault over the last few days has killed at least 31 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip including seven children and four women, according to the U.N. humanitarian office.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 12 May 2023
The 77-minute siege ended with a counterassault led by a SWAT team from the US Border Patrol.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2023
Another risk is that Russia’s invasion and the West’s financial counterassault could prove more economically disruptive than the pandemic.
—Nick Timiraos, WSJ, 26 Aug. 2022
Saturday’s assault included a volley of rockets that Ukrainian officials said damaged 47 apartment buildings and houses, adding that Ukraine cannot answer the attacks for fear that a counterassault would set off a radiation disaster.
—Vivian Yee, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2022
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.
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 12 May 2023
The 77-minute siege ended with a counterassault led by a SWAT team from the US Border Patrol.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2023
Another risk is that Russia’s invasion and the West’s financial counterassault could prove more economically disruptive than the pandemic.
—Nick Timiraos, WSJ, 26 Aug. 2022
Saturday’s assault included a volley of rockets that Ukrainian officials said damaged 47 apartment buildings and houses, adding that Ukraine cannot answer the attacks for fear that a counterassault would set off a radiation disaster.
—Vivian Yee, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2022
Dictionary Entries Near counterassault
Cite this Entry
“Counterassault.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterassault. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share