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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Whitmer wages charm offensive against Trump as other Dems attack As much as Trump enjoys skewering his rivals, the president has lauded Whitmer on multiple occasions since returning to power.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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The experience illustrates that utility control systems and infrastructure platforms are particularly vulnerable to attack.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Pakistan responded by aerial raids, downed an Indian military aircraft and captured an Indian pilot, who was later released.—
Time,
Time,
25 Apr. 2025
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One of the day laborers, who avoided being detained, spoke to ABC7 News about the traumatic effect of the raid.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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When two of the men turn and run, Tommy’s left with one other man to defend against the onslaught as the people on the rooftops fire into the street and the non-combatants cower inside.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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The onslaught has been so extensive that the United States now has its highest average tariff rate in over a century − and more seem on the way.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
21 Apr. 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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That composure led to him landing a knee in the third round after a scramble to get off the mat and setting up the ground strikes that finished the fight at the 3:43 mark of Round 3.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
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Sunday’s strike marks the third consecutive day of missile launches from Yemen toward Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces.—
Tamar Michaelis,
CNN Money,
4 May 2025
Noun
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Israel’s offensive has killed more than 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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Next, the Bears traded down from No. 41 — the ninth pick in the round — in a deal with the Buffalo Bills that netted them two late-second-round picks (Nos. 56 and 62), which turned into Boston College offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo and Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Automakers could be compensated for previous tariff payments as Trump attempts to pull back on fierce tariffs.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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But many of those attempts are facing legal challenges that have delayed or reversed firings.—
John Kelly, Nancy Cordes,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Mangione entered the not guilty plea during an arraignment on April 25 that came after a federal grand jury indicted him on four charges, including two counts of stalking, a weapons offense and murder through the use of a firearm.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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The physicality from the 6-foot-5, 321-pound left guard helped an Alabama run offense score 31 red zone rushing touchdowns, tied for fourth most in the FBS in 2024.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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