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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As aid groups say famine has already taken hold, the assault risks the lives of remaining hostages—captured by Hamas in its October 2023 attack—while Netanyahu faces mounting political turmoil at home, even as Washington continues to hold Hamas responsible for prolonging the conflict.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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Even when put under lighter sanctions in 2018, during the Salisbury chemical attack, claims of election interference, and criminal cyber operations continued.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In California’s strawberry fields, an ICE raid sparked widespread panic and disruption among farmworker communities.—
David Rodriguez Muñoz,
Freep.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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South Korean workers detained during a massive immigration raid in Georgia Thursday will be returned to South Korea on a chartered flight following negotiations, an official announced Sunday.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For more than three years, Ukrainian soldiers, conscripts and ordinary civilians have given their lives to defend their country’s borders, and Vasyanovych is speaking to Variety just days before the latest onslaught of Russian missiles on Kyiv.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
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The component responsible for this, the divertor, must withstand this incredible onslaught, making its design a critical engineering challenge for the viability of fusion power.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Investigators later confirmed his DNA matched evidence from that case and others, including attacks in Okemos, Michigan, in 1994; Birmingham, Michigan, in 1995; and Columbus, Ohio, in 1997, as well as two assaults in Ventura in the early 1980s.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Though Smith was charged with four counts of assault for scaring and endangering the villagers, troopers did not say he was involved in his mother’s death.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 142 drones into the country overnight into Monday morning, of which around 100 were Shahed strike drones and the rest decoy craft.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 Sep. 2025
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Not a strike of lightning from Heaven, but rather the perfect alignment of multiple moons, stars and galaxies.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The full-scale operation is not yet expected to start in the coming week, and no new advance by tanks to deepen the ground offensive was reported so far on Tuesday.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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In fact, Moscow has recently stepped up its offensive and on Sunday launched its biggest air attack on Ukraine, hitting a key government building.—
Silvia Amaro,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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After the FanDuel announcement, the court found that SEPTA's attempt to implement planned service cuts during Thursday's Eagles game was a violation of the August 29 court order, a claim that SEPTA disputes.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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Watch his sumo wrestling attempt in the video at the top of the story.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Their offense mounted a game-winning drive on the road despite losing George Kittle (hamstring) and receiver Jauan Jennings (shoulder).—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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From that point Miami’s offense became pass-centric, running the ball three times the rest of the snaps Tagovailoa was on the field, before getting replaced by Zach Wilson in Miami’s final possession.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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