as in attacks
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coups de main
Noun
-
The British Army also provided protection from attacks by Native American tribes, giving many settlers little reason to support a rebellion.
-
Twice in recent days, the United States has launched retaliatory strikes on Iran following drone attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Noun
-
Russia has still not managed to take the much smaller surrounding towns of Chasiv Yar, Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka, where back-and-forth assaults have been raging for years.
-
The attacks came a day after Ukraine launched what appeared to be one of Kyiv's biggest drone assaults since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion more than four years ago.
Noun
-
In January, the military government claimed the country’s largest-ever seizures of illicit drugs and drug-manufacturing equipment, taken from a total of 12 drug production sites during a series of raids in the northern part of Shan state.
-
No one was arrested in the raids.
Noun
-
Since the army broke the siege on el-Obeid last year, the RSF has launched multiple offensives in attempts to reestablish the siege from several directions.
-
By targeting logistics hubs and resource stockpiles, Ukraine is attacking the systems that sustain Russian offensives.
Noun
-
The McCloskeys ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanor offenses in 2021 as part of a resolution to the case.
-
Each of the offenses carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Noun
-
Russia appeared to be flexing its military muscle in a show of force with its latest aerial onslaughts on Ukraine.
-
Wardley, 31, had never lost in 21 bouts before Saturday, and somehow withstood numerous onslaughts from Dubois (23-3) without ever touching the canvas in a remarkable display of courage.
Noun
-
In the longest start of his career, Mize threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of 22 batters and struck out five of his final six.
-
Gas prices have started to come down since the preliminary peace deal was announced, but the latest round of strikes has threatened to slow ship traffic through the strait, which carried 20% of the world's oil before the war.
Noun
-
As Kennedy and Bessette spend more time together and grow closer, her intimidation of the spotlight and fear of invasive paparazzi often create tension in their relationship, despite his attempts to calm the situation.
-
An early furor over accepting valuable gifts, including designer spectacles and Taylor Swift concert tickets, was followed by a series of policy U-turns, especially clumsy attempts to cut welfare spending that stirred anger in Labour ranks.
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Coups de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coups%20de%20main. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
