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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In recent years, a litany of violent, seemingly unprovoked attacks across Metro led to the deaths or severe injury of several passengers—a confirmation of Angelenos’ worst fears about the system.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
According to the Qataris, two Iranian ballistic missiles and three drone attacks led to the injury of three people in the Gulf nation.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
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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In Thursday’s season finale, Eddie is caught in the crosshairs of Anatoly Caster (Alan Starzinski), the scion of a corrupt businessman who was the target of a police raid, led by protagonist Athena Grant (Angela Bassett), for facilitating a human trafficking ring involving migrants in Los Angeles.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
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Shopping malls across Southern California have also struggled to bring sales back as immigration raids continue to scare customers away.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
8 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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The lack of offense wasted a nice job from the Angels’ bullpen after starter Reid Detmers had a frustrating outing.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
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This week the offense added to that tally, with three consecutive walk-off wins and a four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Noun
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The move triggered an onslaught of requests from wind and solar developers wanting to build projects in Sardinia.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
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The Minnesota Wild, led by Quinn Hughes’ outstanding two-goal night, held on through a late-game onslaught.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Some observers allege that, because Tomahawks can be controlled with precision, the strike was intentional.—
Zohreh Saberi,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
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In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, the ministry said, two women were injured by a drone strike on a house in the southwest of the city which also sparked a fire.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 May 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 9 May. 2026.
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