counterblow

[koun-ter-bloh]

See more synonyms for counterblow on Thesaurus.com

noun

a blow given in return or retaliation, as in boxing.

Origin of counterblow

First recorded in 1625–35; counter- + blow¹

Also called counterpunch.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for counterblow

retribution, revenge, reprisal, counteraction, reciprocation, counterattack, vengeance, countermove, counteroffensive

Examples from the Web for counterblow

Historical Examples of counterblow

It now became necessary for the older body to deal a counterblow.
Richard Wagner His Life and His Dramas
W. J. Henderson
The French retaliated with a counterblow that drove the enemy back (p. 293) in disorder.
The Story of the Great War, Volume VII (of VIII)
Various
The orders were to carry the city at all costs, a counterblow to compensate the Germans for their failure to capture Compigne.
The Story of the Great War, Volume VII (of VIII)
Various
Counterblow had followed blow, swift as the clash of rapiers in a duel of fencers.
The Astronomy of the Bible
E. Walter Maunder
In the counterblow the edge of Cheever's cuff caught on Dyckman's knuckles and ripped the skin.
We Can't Have Everything
Rupert Hughes