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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The attack left about 1,200 people dead, and militants captured Alexander and some 250 others to hold hostage. 'Greatest gift': Family of NJ's Edan Alexander heads to Israel as Hamas agrees to release How many hostages remain in Gaza?—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
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Such fears came into sharp focus after India suspended the treaty on April 23, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
Noun
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The daily remote raid limit is also being increased from five to 10, and a new bundle for Remote Raid Passes has been added to the Pokémon Go web store, which includes two Remote Raid Passes for $2.99.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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The New Mexico Avenue location of Chef Geoff’s — one of two D.C. restaurants owned and operated by O’Donnell’s husband, Geoff Tracy — was subject to a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the morning of Tuesday, May 6.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
8 May 2025
Noun
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In early April, Trump imposed a 20% levy on goods from the EU as part of his tariff onslaught against global trading partners.—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2025
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How can organizations handle this onslaught of events?—
Johanna Herrmann,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Noun
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Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.—
Jacky Wong,
WSJ,
6 Feb. 2023
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Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
31 Jan. 2023
Noun
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New Jersey Transit service has been suspended Friday as train engineers walked off the job just after midnight amidst a labor strike.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
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Son Heung-min then scored directly from a corner but there was still enough time for Jonny Evans to make Spurs fans nervous with a stoppage-time strike.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Noun
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Houthi attacks on shipping The Houthis had been waging persistent missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group’s leadership has described as an effort to end Israel’s offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2025
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Israel resumed its offensive in March after the collapse of a U.S.-backed ceasefire that had halted fighting for two months.—
Maayan Lubell,
USA Today,
6 May 2025
Noun
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In the book, Katherine and Michael’s friends Erica and Artie try their hand at dating but Artie’s struggles with his sexuality and eventual suicide attempt prevent it from going further.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
11 May 2025
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The series travels around the land now known as the United States, meeting tribal stewards keeping ancient traditions alive, Native chefs innovating for 21st-century palates, and historians whose research attempts to recover recipes lost long ago.—
Katie Rife,
EW.com,
11 May 2025
Noun
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But there were few other fireworks for the offense, as the Sox were outscored 26-8 in the series.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
19 May 2025
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But after a scoreless first, Florida’s offense came to life.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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