coup de main

noun

ˌkü-də-ˈmaⁿ How to pronounce coup de main (audio)
Definition of coup de mainnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coup de main
  1. attack
  2. assault
  3. raid
  4. offensive
  5. offense
  6. onslaught
  7. strike
  8. aggression
Noun
  • The country's armed forces said that it was targeted by a missile attack that originated from Iranian territory.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Mamdani applauded police for stopping the attack but said an internal investigation would be conducted.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • He has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, the department said.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Castro is charged in Minnesota with assault and falsely reporting a crime in the January 14 shooting of 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of assault
Noun
  • Last month, burglars stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry from the museum of French luxury glassmaker Lalique in a daring early morning raid.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • According to witnesses of the raid, local police and Canyon County sheriff’s deputies assisted ICE agents by zip-tying children and detaining people without asking about their immigration status.
    — Rachel Spacek, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of raid
Noun
  • The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sued several states that have tried to treat prediction market sites as a form of gambling, a type of legal offensive the agency has never before embarked on.
    — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • More than four decades ago, after months of setbacks in the war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, thousands of young Iranian troops launched a surprise offensive that turned the tide.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of offensive
Noun
  • Xavier Pratt scored the touchdown that finally jump-started Homewood-Flossmoor’s offense after a slow start.
    — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The ruling suggests that the criminal offense would apply when materials are simply available on a library shelf.
    — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of offense
Noun
  • The elimination of those limits could fuel a bigger onslaught of election ads if broadcasters are forced to offer their lowest ad rates to parties and committees.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Life was an onslaught of bright lights, loud noises, intolerable textures and tastes.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of onslaught
Noun
  • Iran is expanding its defense capabilities, an Iranian army commander said Wednesday, after much of the country’s equipment was degraded by US-Israeli strikes in the early days of the war.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine's access to Starlink is the main reason for the early successes of its middle-strike drone campaign, which caught Russian forces off guard and undermined their logistics lines earlier this year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of strike
Noun
  • At his best, Fries flies off the ball with force and aggression.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • As quotas for immigration arrests increased that spring, he was asked to press felony charges for even minor aggressions against agents.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggression

Browse Nearby Words

coup de grâce
coup de main
coupe
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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