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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coups de main
Noun
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While all three attacks are being treated as separate incidents, counterterror police are conducting the investigations due to the nature of the attacks, their locations and the types of buildings involved, the Met said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026 -
Hundreds have been arrested in countries across the Gulf region, according to the United Nations’ high commissioner for human rights, some on allegations of expressing sympathies for Iran’s attacks and for posting images of Iranian bombardments to social media.—
Jane Lytvynenko,
NBC news,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Israel’s assaults typically come with some warning — the ominous buzz of low-flying drones, and an evacuation order shared on social media by the Israel Defense Forces’ Arabic spokesman.—
Nada Bashir,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
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Russia launched 324 drones and three ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said, part of a broader surge in aerial assaults, according to Reuters.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday arrested a plaintiff involved in a class action lawsuit challenging raids in Los Angeles, prompting concerns from lawyers of retaliation and calls for his release.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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Since federal agents began aggressive immigration raids in LA last June, the band's 11 members have been crisscrossing southern California on their mobile stage determined to lift the spirits of people affected by the crackdowns.—
Adrian Florido,
NPR,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But the forces being deployed are light infantry, units that lack the large armored vehicles, including tanks, that typically underpin sustained ground offensives.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Putin is widely expected to launch new offensives as the weather in Ukraine improves, piling further pressure on Kyiv.—
Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The completion of probation will give her the opportunity to not have the offenses added to her record, KAIT and Fox San Antonio reported.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
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Williams and the other men are charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, offenses punishable by any term of years or life in prison.—
Chase Rogers,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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When will these onslaughts of cold end?—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But Andy Pages was called out on strikes when the Rockies challenged a ball call and it was overturned by ABS.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
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Israel’s strikes in Lebanon, however, caused Iran to once again close the key waterway days later.—
Sophia Vento,
The Hill,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Not many fans would have bet, even a few weeks ago, that a return to the Bentancur and Bissoma pairing could be integral to Spurs’ attempts to stay up.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
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The Hawks missed all nine of their 3-point attempts in the quarter.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Coups de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coups%20de%20main. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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