counterpunch

American

[koun-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.

With every swing from USC’s offense early, Nebraska seemed to have a counterpunch.

From Los Angeles Times

But it also faced bans from radio stations and attracted musical counterpunches, most notably Barry Sadler’s patriotic No. 1 hit, “The Ballad of the Green Berets.”

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From Barron's

Yet both possess a knack for the quick counterpunch.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From The Wall Street Journal

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