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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Whitmer wages charm offensive against Trump as other Dems attack As much as Trump enjoys skewering his rivals, the president has lauded Whitmer on multiple occasions since returning to power.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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The experience illustrates that utility control systems and infrastructure platforms are particularly vulnerable to attack.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Pakistan responded by aerial raids, downed an Indian military aircraft and captured an Indian pilot, who was later released.—
Time,
Time,
25 Apr. 2025
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Initially, authorities said Darlene Carey simply granted them access to the residence, thus justifying the raid that uncovered the guns.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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When two of the men turn and run, Tommy’s left with one other man to defend against the onslaught as the people on the rooftops fire into the street and the non-combatants cower inside.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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The onslaught has been so extensive that the United States now has its highest average tariff rate in over a century − and more seem on the way.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
21 Apr. 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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For Season 2, the dual Hollywood strikes in 2023 meant the showrunner had to step away from the show for five months.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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Putin acknowledged that recent Russian strikes had hit civilian facilities in Ukraine, but claimed that they were being used for military purposes.—
Ross Adkin,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Israel’s offensive has killed more than 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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Next, the Bears traded down from No. 41 — the ninth pick in the round — in a deal with the Buffalo Bills that netted them two late-second-round picks (Nos. 56 and 62), which turned into Boston College offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo and Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Automakers could be compensated for previous tariff payments as Trump attempts to pull back on fierce tariffs.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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Additionally, a new study by the Trevor Project found that suicide attempts went up by more than seventy per cent in states where anti-trans bills were passed.—
Grace Byron,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Mangione entered the not guilty plea during an arraignment on April 25 that came after a federal grand jury indicted him on four charges, including two counts of stalking, a weapons offense and murder through the use of a firearm.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty in NYC federal murder case Federal prosecutors indicted Mangione last week on two counts of stalking, a firearm offense and murder through the use of a firearm in Thompson's 2024 shooting death.—
Elijah Westbrook, Ali Bauman,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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