as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
the Continental Army's attack on the British-Hessian encampment at Trenton, New Jersey, ranks as one of the most brilliant coups de main of the war
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Recent Examples of coup de main
Ryan Reynolds walked arm in arm with Blake Lively, and there were polite air-kisses and an appearance by Martha Stewart—but like the film’s coup de main, the night was filled with surprises.
—
Lauren Sanchez, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2018
Lauren Sanchez, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coup de main
Noun
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Good's defenders – including city and state leaders – are calling what happened an unjustified attack; federal authorities say the agent was acting in self-defense.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
9 Jan. 2026
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In Kyiv, a CNN reporter said that the attack began around midnight, starting with multiple drone strikes on residential buildings.—
Kosta Gak,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In addition to the murder charge, Thompson faces charges of committing a terroristic act, aggravated assault, engaging in violent criminal group activity and endangering the welfare of a minor, according to the jail roster.—
Rafael Escalera Montoto,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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He is being held on a $2 million bond for a murder charge and must pay $200,000, as well as a $5,000 bond for an assault charge, to be released.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Three police officers lean on a silver car blocking a Louvre entrance, hours after thieves carried out a daylight raid on French crown jewels.—
NPR,
NPR,
9 Nov. 2025
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Advertisement 'Exhausted and bruised' The first video from last week, in which agents drive away with a toddler still in the back, took place in Los Angeles during a raid at Home Depot in the Cypress Park neighborhood.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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That’s with a 44 percent offensive-zone starting percentage.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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David Ellison launched his WBD offensive shortly after closing the Paramount Skydance merger in August with a trio of unsolicited offers for the entire company, all rejected.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Gatica was tracked down, arrested on charges of DUI and related offenses, and booked into the Orange County Jail.—
Greg Wehner , Bill Melugin,
FOXNews.com,
10 Nov. 2025
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The Tigers’ offense, which has scored at least 88 points in all three games, erupted for a season-best showing.—
Scott Chasen,
Kansas City Star,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Celtics, well aware of Orlando’s identity as a hyper-physical team that annually ranks near the bottom of the NBA in 3-point volume, weren’t prepared for that onslaught.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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Sophomore Flory Bidunga led the onslaught with 23 points while grabbing six rebounds and blocking three shots in 25 minutes, with freshman Darryn Peterson dropping 21 points in his collegiate debut.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
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And Tagovailoa shook off that early interception with a 9-yard scoring pass to Malik Washington — capping a ferocious seven-minute, 92-yard drive — and then a 38-yard TD strike to Jaylen Waddle.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The flame-wielder is a tough match for Mecha Man, necessitating some extrajudicial aggression as Robert lops off two of his opponent’s fingers with a beam saber.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
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What's more, the researchers were surprised to find no evidence of the spiders' usual cannibalistic aggression.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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