🔁 A return attack 🔁 To attack back

to counterstrike

1 7.5

To attack back after someone attacks you

verb
/ˈkaʊntərˌstraɪk/

: contraataque

The team decided to counterstrike after the initial attack.

Examples

When provoked on the field, she waited for the right moment to counterstrike.
The troops prepared to counterstrike after the enemy's surprise attack.
After taking a defensive position, they planned to counterstrike at dawn.
The army decided to counterstrike after suffering heavy losses in the first assault.
He will counterstrike if they attack again.
When they were ambushed, the special forces quickly counterstruck to regain control of the situation.
The team decided to counterstrike as soon as they detected a breach in their defenses.

Synonyms

to fight back

vsto counterstrike

188 3.3

Resist an attack or criticism by responding

is about making an attack in response, not about general resistance or argument

to strike back

vsto counterstrike

34 4.9

To fight back after someone attacks or hurts you

is used for an armed response specifically to an attack rather than broad retaliation

to counterattack

vsto counterstrike

12 4.9

To attack back after an enemy attacks to stop their advance

is the same idea but used as a general response to any attack

Antonyms

surrender

77 4.2

Giving up after defeat, for example when an army stops fighting

How Forceful

to counterstrike

1 7.5

to retaliate

105 7.3

to respond

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

counterstrike infinitive

counterstriking present participle

counterstrikes third person singular

counterstruck past

counterstruck past participle

Morphology

counterstrike = strike (transparent) = counter + strike

Direct and productive combination of the prefix 'counter-' (against/in response to) with 'strike' (attack), producing 'attack in response'.

Etymology

Counterstrike comes from the parts counter- meaning 'against' and strike meaning 'to hit' or 'attack', so to counterstrike is to 'hit back' or attack in return after someone has attacked you.