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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The attack came two weeks after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a university in Utah.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Sep. 2025
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Poor weather and battlefield obscurants continue to endanger warfighters as adversaries rely on these conditions to escape attacks.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The President has even threatened to arrest Mamdani, after the Democratic nominee vowed to push back on Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
28 Sep. 2025
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In June 2025, National Guard forces were also deployed to Los Angeles amid protests over immigration raids.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The onslaught began with a 53-yard TD strike from Gebhardt to Domonique Young.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Sep. 2025
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But the map faces an onslaught of attacks in the courtroom and, potentially, the ballot box.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Some federal agents have been injured and several protesters have been charged with assault.—
Chris Megerian,
Fortune,
27 Sep. 2025
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Officers arrested Spears on one count of assault/family violence, and he was booked into the Arlington City Jail.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Kyiv was the focus of the overnight Russian strikes.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
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Russia launched its first major wave of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine in nearly a month, pounding sites across the country on Sunday and leaving Kyiv hardest hit as rescue workers scrambled to pull people from the rubble.—
Rebecca Rosman,
NPR,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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His administration has thrown its support behind Netanyahu, though, as Israel carries out its ground offensive in Gaza City.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
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Future offensives by Russia would then become strategically futile, and thus not worth attempting.—
ANDRIY ZAGORODNYUK,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Risks outweighing safe deflection The researchers caution that any attempt to deflect the asteroid could create unintended hazards.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
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Scotty's attempt to chase his tail has certainly delighted the internet, as many TikTok users took to the comments to laud his efforts.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Baltimore Ravens came into Sunday's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs with significant problems on the defensive side of the ball that have held back their typically impressive offense.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
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While the defense certainly deserves a lot of the blame for the 0-3 start, the offense has visibly taken a step back.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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