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English Lexicon

counterattack

/ˈkaʊntərətæk/
nounverbCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #2500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    An attack made in response to one by an opponent or enemy.

    "The army launched a swift counterattack to regain the lost territory."
As verb
  1. 1

    To attack an enemy or opponent in response to their attack.

    "The team defended stubbornly before deciding to counterattack."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Coined in English by combining the prefix 'counter-' (against, in opposition to) with 'attack', dating back to the late 18th century in military contexts.

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Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "counterattack"

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