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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And, in any case, many legal experts say the boat attacks amount to extrajudicial killings in violation of international law.—
Will Weissert,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026 -
Sam Abu Haikal is the 13th child to be killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank so far this year, according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, which has documented the killing of 236 children in the region by Israeli forces since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
Noun
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The attack comes as the NYPD investigates a troubling string of chilling assaults against older New Yorkers.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2026
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During the more than two-year span when the alleged crimes took place, Feigenbaum said that the only person who knew the full extent of what happened was Campbell, with several of the victims only finding out about the assaults after the defendant was arrested.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Barreto noted that Pratt didn’t take a strong stand against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, hurting his appeal to Latinos.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
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Demonstrators in Omaha after immigration raids in June 2025.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
Noun
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By targeting logistics hubs and resource stockpiles, Ukraine is attacking the systems that sustain Russian offensives.—
Aidan Stretch,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
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The twin offensives are targeting Hamas and Hezbollah respectively, though critics argue that the operations are motivated at least in part by domestic politics — Israel is due to hold elections by October — and are amplifying troubling humanitarian situations in Gaza and Lebanon.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
Noun
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The majority of crimes committed in the area are assault offenses, with 222 cases so far in 2026.—
CBS Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
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Businesses need confidence that reporting offences will lead to meaningful outcomes.—
Alliance Manchester Business School,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Russia appeared to be flexing its military muscle in a show of force with its latest aerial onslaughts on Ukraine.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
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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.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Following Iran's strikes on Israel, Syrian and Iraqi officials announced temporary airspace closures.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
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The recent strikes have increased the strain on the fragile truce between Washington and Tehran.—
Dalia Abdelwahab,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Noun
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Dylan Harper, who has played tremendous bench minutes for San Antonio, also scored 13 on 18 shot attempts.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
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There have been attempts to start up professional softball leagues before.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 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 15 Jun. 2026.
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