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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
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
-
Northwestern didn’t let Johns Hopkins’ comeback attack get any closer though.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
Those attacks have also threatened its image as a glamorous haven for tourists to the Middle East.—
Amy Gunia,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Not coincidentally, Netanyahu’s coalition—which dominates the Knesset with a majority of sixty-four seats, out of a hundred and twenty—has renewed its legislative assault on the court.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Castro faces multiple second-degree felony assault charges involving a weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime, a misdemeanor, according to a criminal complaint.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Many of the targets for these cases came from raids on distributors who had sold the access cards and bootloaders.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2026
-
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio conducted high-profile raids in Latino communities and, later, the state saw large influxes of migrants during the Biden administration.—
Rebecca Santana,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
After the shutdown, Jeffries remained on the offensive.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
When Aleppo fell in late November, in part due to that tunnel operation that cut off the regime's supply lines, the rebel groups made a split-second decision to continue the offensive.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
The sophomore midfielder can pass and score with either foot and is equally proficient at playing offense or defense.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
The Dodgers’ offense, in contrast to the Brewers’, didn’t record a hit off Brewers starter Logan Henderson until the fourth inning.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
This teaching is more urgent now because of tech-heavy medicine and the coming onslaught of AI in patient care.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
That acknowledgement sparked an onslaught of questions that will likely rest on when Hoskins, a Republican and staunch supporter of the map, decides whether the campaign can reach the ballot.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The April 8th strikes ravaged a range of sites across the country.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
Paz’s termination of a popular but fiscally unsustainable fuel subsidy and other austerity measures triggered strikes earlier this month, which escalated into a coordinated effort from the Bolivian Workers’ Central, peasant unions, and miners to paralyze the country.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The problem is, when your side lack intensity, aggression and cohesion, those traps are easy to spot and avoid.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Bass said Pratt’s videos encourage aggression.—
Britta Miller,
The Washington Examiner,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
