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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Example Sentences
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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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Try supplements: Certain supplements, such as Riboflavin and CoQ10, can help reduce the frequency and severity of attacks.—
Verywell Health,
Verywell Health,
6 June 2025
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Clearly, this is just the start of what will be an all-out attack on workers.—
Jim Miller,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Immigration enforcement actions, particularly since the raids in Los Angeles in early June, have led to speculation of raids in North Texas.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 June 2025
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But the heavy-handed nature of the ICE raids threw fuel on the fire—and the administration has used the crisis to vastly expand its power.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
13 June 2025
Noun
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While an onslaught of craft marketing has hit consumers now, the playbook is not new.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
13 June 2025
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Trump's first few months back in office have brought an onslaught of controversial directives, but are people actually protesting more than usual?—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
13 June 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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These values were shared by Qasem Hassan’s mother, who appeared at strikes even though teachers were not supposed to join picket lines.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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The majority of these strikes happen during the summer, causing around 20 fatalities each year, according to the NWS.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Russian casualties fighting against Ukraine have surpassed 1 million, according to Kyiv's military, as ceasefire negotiations yield little progress and Moscow ramps up its summer offensive.—
Ellie Cook
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
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The community became a touchpoint in the nearly 14-year Syrian civil war that ended with the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December.—
Omar Albam,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Searching for the source of the gunfire, police came upon Baker, who said he and his friend had been fired on during a holdup attempt, and the friend, Hudson, had been wounded.—
John Lynch,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
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The 15-year-old competitive swimmer from Angleton, Texas, went through aggressive chemo and radiation in an attempt to shrink the avocado-sized tumor.—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Noun
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During the offseason, the Chargers focused on adding weapons around Herbert to elevate a sputtering offense that ranked 20th in the NFL in yards per game.—
Thuc Nhi Nguyen,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
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The Trump administration has suspended student interviews, attempted to deport international students for minor offenses and pledged to revoke visas for certain Chinese students.—
Stuart Anderson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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