counteroffensive

noun

coun·​ter·​of·​fen·​sive ˈkau̇n-tər-ə-ˌfen(t)-siv How to pronounce counteroffensive (audio)
: 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
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.
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 Democrats have focused their early counteroffensives on Musk, who is viewed more negatively than positively overall, according to the Pew survey. Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025 After the unsuccessful counteroffensive of 2023, the administration helped Ukraine create three vectors of action that would weaken Moscow’s ability to prosecute the war indefinitely and thus put pressure on it to negotiate seriously. Thomas Wright, Foreign Affairs, 24 Feb. 2025 As part of his counteroffensive, the company created the Third Party Fact-Checkers, or Independent Fact-checkers, program to address misinformation on its platforms. Jorge Ramis, WIRED, 11 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for counteroffensive

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counteroffensive was in 1909

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Cite this Entry

“Counteroffensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counteroffensive. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

counteroffensive

noun
coun·​ter·​of·​fen·​sive ˈkau̇nt-ə-rə-ˌfen(t)-siv How to pronounce counteroffensive (audio)
: a large-scale counterattack
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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