counteroffensive
noun
coun·ter·of·fen·sive
ˈkau̇n-tər-ə-ˌfen(t)-siv 
: a large-scale military offensive undertaken by a force previously on the defensive
Examples of counteroffensive in a Sentence
They mounted a counteroffensive against the enemy.
the army launched a counteroffensive at dawn
Recent Examples on the Web
The TikTok trend appears to be a strategic digital counteroffensive, giving Chinese producers a platform to reach U.S. consumers directly while sidestepping both tariffs and middlemen.
—
Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
By late summer, Zelenskyy's forces had begun their own counteroffensive into Kursk, a Russian border region, a surprise move that put Moscow on its back foot.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2025
Kyiv's troops have repelled months of Russian counteroffensives, but recent weeks have seen their salient crumble and Russian forces retake significant ground.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2025
And after that delay, the momentum on the front lines changed from Ukraine pursuing a mostly unsuccessful counteroffensive, to being largely in defense.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counteroffensive
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Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
By late summer, Zelenskyy's forces had begun their own counteroffensive into Kursk, a Russian border region, a surprise move that put Moscow on its back foot.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2025
Kyiv's troops have repelled months of Russian counteroffensives, but recent weeks have seen their salient crumble and Russian forces retake significant ground.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2025
And after that delay, the momentum on the front lines changed from Ukraine pursuing a mostly unsuccessful counteroffensive, to being largely in defense.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counteroffensive
Cite this Entry
“Counteroffensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counteroffensive. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
counteroffensive
noun
coun·ter·of·fen·sive
ˈkau̇nt-ə-rə-ˌfen(t)-siv
: a large-scale counterattack
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