When a person or a company is sued, they may choose to file a counter-suit in response. A counter-suit is a legal action taken by the defendant to sue the plaintiff or another party involved in the lawsuit. However, there are different synonyms for the term "counter-suit", which include "cross-complaint", "answer and cross-complaint", "response and cross-complaint", and "counter-claim". These words are used interchangeably in legal proceedings when someone wishes to initiate a new lawsuit to counteract the case brought against them. While the term "counter-suit" is the most commonly used, the other synonyms also effectively convey the same meaning.