counter-accuse

[ˈkaʊntər əˈkjuːz]
verb
contra-acusar
1. to accuse someone in return, especially someone who has accused you; to make a reciprocal accusation
When charged with theft, he decided to counter-accuse his business partner of embezzlement.
Quando acusado de roubo, ele decidiu contra-acusar seu parceiro de negócios de peculato.
2. to respond to an accusation by making an accusation against the accuser
The defendant chose to counter-accuse rather than defend herself directly.
A ré optou por contra-acusar em vez de se defender diretamente.
In Brazilian legal culture, counter-accusations are a common tactical response in disputes and courtroom proceedings. In the USA, this tactic is frequent in adversarial legal systems where defendants employ 'blame shifting' strategies. The term reflects the confrontational nature of legal defense in both countries.
NYC Slang
flip the script on someone
Synonyms / Sinônimos
retortretaliateturn the tablesaccuse in returnmake a counter-charge
Antonyms / Antônimos
defendadmitconfessaccept accusation

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
contra-acusar
standard usage in legal and formal contexts
Rio de Janeiro
contra-acusar
common in legal disputes and informal conflicts
São Paulo
contra-acusar
predominant in business and legal contexts
Portugal
contra-acusar
used in legal contexts; sometimes 'acusar em troca'

Related Words

accusationcounter-chargeretaliationdefenseallegationrecrimination

Related Idioms & Phrases

turn the tables on someone
throw it back in someone's face
accuse someone right back
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