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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But just this week, BPD arrested two undocumented immigrants caught on camera carrying out a violent attack in Canton.—
WBFF STAFF,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Aug. 2025
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Education has been under attack in Florida for decades; the dumbing down of our schools and society is notorious.—
Robert Kesten,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Since then, his administration has ramped up immigration raids on businesses, threatened widespread deportation, and canceled temporary legal status for more than a million people living in the United States.—
Alexander Kustov,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Aug. 2025
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In another instance, troops that went with a federal agency conducting a raid at a cannabis farm in Riverside County formed a security perimeter that prevented people from leaving.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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While other governments rushed to make concessions in the face of Trump’s tariff onslaught, India has remained defiant.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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University of Virginia President James E. Ryan resigned in June under pressure from the Justice Department over the school’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices, reflecting how the government’s premise of combating antisemitism has turned into a broader onslaught.—
Shira Li Bartov,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Aug. 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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Gurriel then watched a slider for a strike and fouled off a 101.7 mph fastball.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Aug. 2025
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Romania was forced to scramble F-16 jets after Russia carried out a strike just half a mile from the NATO nation's territory.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Ukrainian leader's comments about an imminent Russian offensive add to such concerns.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
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New ditches have been hastily dug to its west to prepare for the possibility Russia’s ongoing offensive might threaten the town itself once again.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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A lot has happened since — so much that, in the time between being ordered to series and making it to air, an attempt to revive the channel’s heyday has been left marooned by circumstances beyond its control.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
15 Aug. 2025
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Trump has become increasingly critical of Putin as the Russian leader has resisted Trump’s attempts to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Sanders is the only one of the four quarterbacks who has been with the team since the spring who hasn’t played at least some with the No. 1 offense in camp.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
9 Aug. 2025
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The Redhawks started slowly offensively as quarterback Sebastian Hayes, who was coming back from two torn ACLs, learned the offense.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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