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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Example Sentences
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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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His June assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities had two carrier groups in the region, more there as a counter-weight to any Iranian reprisals than to be directly involved in the attack.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
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Senegal -- The Islamic State extremist group claimed responsibility on Friday for an attack on an air force base in Niger's capital that wounded four soldiers and damaged an aircraft.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Martinez and another man were charged in October with assault with a deadly weapon, accused of following the agents' vehicles and initiating the collision with Exum's SUV that led to the shooting on Chicago's south side.—
James Hill,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Pretti was shot while agents were evidently seeking to detain a man, Jose Huerta-Chuma, whom Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said had an extensive criminal record including domestic assault.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The first raid left 30 insurgents dead in Panjgur district in Balochistan province, according to a military statement.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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The ban came after a series of immigration raids in and around Los Angeles, where federal agents were spotted wearing masks.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Israel’s offensive has killed more than 71,400 Palestinians since 2023, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry — with more than 480 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the latest ceasefire began.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
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Israel’s offensive has killed at least 71,660 Palestinians since 2023, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry — with more than 480 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the latest ceasefire began.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The offenses are alleged to have occurred in 2013.—
Jane Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Jan. 2026
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The race to deploy increasingly sophisticated systems (offense and defense) in outer space and oceans is on, primarily a contest between the United States, Russia and China.—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As a winter storm bore down on Austin late last week, residents braced for an onslaught of ice — and, many feared, ICE enforcement in the city.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Jan. 2026
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After Nicola Peltz & Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding, there was an onslaught of rumors that Victoria Beckham had beef with her daughter-in-law because of the poor planning.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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The attacks, carried out in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean under the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have killed at least 116 people in 36 strikes since early September.—
Muri Assuncao,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Sabrina Carpenter’s song about guys being goofy and Bad Bunny’s single about wishing to be more present in fleeting moments might’ve been more pertinent to a rough last year animated by masculine aggression.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
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Traoré did flip the tone with his aggression, slicing to the rim for two straight baskets, but Denver’s shooting kept piling up.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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