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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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 Kings have prioritized defense for most of the past two decades, often playing a sticky, trapping style that doesn’t promote offensive creativity or attack.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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Severe is the second-highest rung on a five-point scale and means intelligence agencies consider an attack highly likely in the next six months.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Fritchey was initially arrested for first-degree assault.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
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In March, Jackson was found guilty of first-degree murder, assault of a pregnant individual intentionally causing miscarriage/stillbirth, and felony firearm.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Pritzker last fall tasked the Illinois Accountability Commission with fact-finding about the sweeping Chicago-area raids for posterity, the public eye and potential future law enforcement actions, but the panel itself has no direct law enforcement power.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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The same nurses hailed as essential workers during the pandemic are now dealing with the impact of ICE raids and ICE presence in hospitals, endangering nurses and their patients.—
Sonia Lawrence,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Ukrainian troops pushed back a ferocious Russian offensive last fall, and their cities survived a frigid winter despite a Russian blitz on energy infrastructure.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
4 May 2026
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Israel responded with overwhelming force, opening a new offensive against Hezbollah with a blistering campaign of airstrikes across the country, and later an ongoing ground invasion in the south of Lebanon that authorities say has killed almost 2,590 people and displaced more than a million.—
May 1,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Detroit turned up the heat on defense while Orlando’s offense came to a complete halt.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
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Stearns stuck him with an aging hitter who didn’t have spring training in Tommy Pham to try to jumpstart the offense and give Mendoza a bench piece that could hit left-handed pitching.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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This onslaught has led to a musical chairs of lawsuits and settlements—and, occasionally, partnerships—between the Big Three labels and the AI startups attempting to crib their artists’ styles.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
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Makar’s second-period brilliance held as the game-winning goal, while Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews added to the onslaught in the third period.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Frey keeps hitters guessing because of his rare ability to throw five different pitches for strikes.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Jonathan Vasquez a week into the strike.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For her, this was practically homicidal aggression.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
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Race, bad bosses and the fly-on-the-wall fun of watching office politics and micro-aggressions play out makes this workplace suspense novel a total page-turner (as well as a binge-worthy limited television series).—
Laura Zigman,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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