as in complaint
a court case brought against the plaintiff of another court case by the defendant
The defendant filed a counterclaim for his own injuries, claiming that he only rear-ended the plaintiff because she had stopped too fast.
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 counterclaim
Hyperbolic claims about Ronaldo’s son had been circulating for weeks before the Messi counterclaim emerged.
—
Adam Crafton, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
In a counterclaim, the companies alleged that Morrissey's lawsuit against them was prompted by the desire to protect her own image.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
Justin Baldoni has amended his counterclaim suit against Blake Lively, which names Ryan Reynolds, The New York Times, and others as defendants, and claims Lively and her PR team colluded with the Times for months to smear him.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2025
In his own counterclaim obtained by PEOPLE on Tuesday, Aug. 13, the Backstreet Boys singer denies Schuman's accusations and is countersuing her for $2.5 million.
—Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for counterclaim
Adam Crafton, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
In a counterclaim, the companies alleged that Morrissey's lawsuit against them was prompted by the desire to protect her own image.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
Justin Baldoni has amended his counterclaim suit against Blake Lively, which names Ryan Reynolds, The New York Times, and others as defendants, and claims Lively and her PR team colluded with the Times for months to smear him.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2025
In his own counterclaim obtained by PEOPLE on Tuesday, Aug. 13, the Backstreet Boys singer denies Schuman's accusations and is countersuing her for $2.5 million.
—Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for counterclaim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterclaim
Noun
-
Historian Heather Cox Richardson, in her regular post for March 30, notes a similar procession of this complaint.—
Peter Greene,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The complaint is based on the Intertek and SGS testing results provided in September.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Boasberg initially tossed out the lawsuit but gave the FTC a chance to amend its complaint.—
Ashley Oliver,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Eventually, Griffin settled the lawsuit, resulting in, among other things, an apology from the IRS.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Some Brazilians argue that the concerns about social media should be addressed through legislation rather than litigation.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
-
What does this mean for future litigation against oil companies?—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The director filed a countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their PR team, alleging defamation and extortion.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Baldoni responded with a countersuit against Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist Leslie Sloane, alleging extortion, defamation and claims related to breach of contract.—
Hilary Lewis,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counterclaim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterclaim. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share