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
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Example Sentences
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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
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But Morris' attacks didn't go completely unacknowledged.—
Lucas Aulbach,
The Courier-Journal,
4 Aug. 2025
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The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in a cross-border attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures.—
Nidal al-Mughrabi,
USA Today,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In July 2024, U.S. law enforcement conducted an on-site raid at Fuyao Glass America’s plant in Moraine as well as other locations in the area as part of an investigation into a third-party labor service company.—
Russell Flannery,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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As attacks on immigrants are rising, local economies are weakening, with the fear of immigration raids keeping people home.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
30 July 2025
Noun
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The new onslaught comes after a bit of a break from last week’s sweltering spate of weather, and Mayor Adams issued a new warning.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
28 July 2025
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That Israel’s onslaught on Gaza, not much more than an hour down the coastal highways, was still raging, the body count among Palestinians rising by the dozens nearly every day, seemed not to dampen the mood, either.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.—
Jacky Wong,
WSJ,
6 Feb. 2023
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Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
31 Jan. 2023
Noun
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The majority of these strikes happen during the summer, causing around 20 fatalities each year, according to the NWS.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 July 2025
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What begins as a quiet rebellion erupts into a viral citywide strike, culminating in a daring heist.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
14 July 2025
Noun
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The 1972 offensive had been wretched for AP, which was being regularly beaten by its main rival, United Press International.—
Gary Knight,
Rolling Stone,
1 Aug. 2025
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On Amazon’s earnings call Thursday night, CEO Andy Jassy went on the offensive when asked about the competitive dynamics in cloud computing.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Bliss interrupted the pin attempt to rectify the mistake, a sigh of relief for Bliss.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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Fitzgerald went 4 for 4 on extra-point attempts and 1 for 3 on field-goal attempts.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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And Dylan Cease has been the topic of trade discussions, as the Padres attempt to bolster their offense but are said by multiple sources to need to free up payroll space to do so.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 July 2025
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Detroit’s offense Thursday will be paced by backup quarterbacks Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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