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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Though attacks are not so frequent in Islamabad, Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence in recent months, largely blamed on Baloch separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which is a separate group, but allied with Afghanistan's Taliban.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026 -
The overnight attacks follow a recent lull in strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides, which was proposed by the US.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Instead, Jackson blamed anti-ICE rhetoric for a sharp increase in assaults on immigration officers, a claim frequently cited by the administration, despite previous reporting showing such a rise is not backed by public records.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
7 Feb. 2026
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Russian forces have consequently lost command-and-control capabilities and navigation for drones, and assaults have stopped in many sectors, according to Fedorov's adviser Serhii Beskrestnov.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In December, the White House did not rule out whether immigration raids were possible around the soccer matches this summer, of which seven are scheduled for South Florida.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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The Amazon-like company has been subjected to a number of investigations, raids, and inspections initiated by the Korea Fair Trade Commission, the country’s primary antitrust regulator, in recent years.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The report said Russian forces have advanced at an average rate of between 49 to 230 feet per day in their most prominent offensives.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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The report said Russian forces have advanced at an average rate of between 49 to 230 feet per day in their most prominent offensives.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Of the more than 70,000 people currently in immigration detention facilities, only about 25% of them have any kind of criminal conviction, which can include traffic violations and other minor offenses, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, which tracks detention data.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
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This is our standard disposition for first-time prostitution offenses.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Feb. 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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When there is no global response, the strikes become more frequent and increasingly brutal.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 Feb. 2026
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The consequences of Russian strikes are aggravated in many urban areas by reliance on centralized heating systems, a legacy of the Soviet era.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Salah, who had five attempts, has failed to score in his last seven league appearances.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Minnesota made just eight of 33 three-point attempts and committed 20 turnovers while being held under 100 points for just the second time this season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 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 11 Feb. 2026.
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