counterblow

noun

coun·​ter·​blow ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈblō How to pronounce counterblow (audio)
variants or counter-blow
plural counterblows or counter-blows
: an action taken in reprisal : a return blow : retaliation
… US policy makers who could go forward in the East without much fear of a Soviet counterblow in the West.Charles Wheeler

Word History

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterblow was in 1655

Dictionary Entries Near counterblow

Cite this Entry

“Counterblow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterblow. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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