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counterpunch

American

[kaun-ter-puhnch] / ˈkaʊn tərˌpʌntʃ /

noun

counterblow.

counterpunch British

/ ˈkaʊntəˌpʌntʃ /

verb

to punch an attacking opponent; return an attack

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

a return punch

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of counterpunch

First recorded in 1675–85; counter- + punch ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

counterpunch

Jaxson Hayes was out of the postseason rotation last year and is now an important counterpunch behind Ayton.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026

Typically, he loves to counterpunch against criticism, but oddly, this time, he didn’t.

From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 2026

The U.S. bond market went into a tailspin, and Beijing’s counterpunch caused stocks to plummet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025

Neither industry has figured out a guaranteed counterpunch, and their futures remain very much in doubt.

From Slate ● Dec. 3, 2023

His immediate reaction was to counterpunch but he held himself in control.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023