coups de main

noun

plural of coup de main
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
  1. attacks
  2. assaults
  3. raids
  4. offensives
  5. offenses
  6. onslaughts
  7. strikes
  8. attempts
Noun
  • The United States also revoked a license for Iran to sell oil in response to a series of attacks on the commercial vessels that the regime has not taken responsibility for.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • This appears to be one of Kyiv's deepest attacks on Russian territory since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 8 July 2026
Definition of attacks
Noun
  • Ukrainian officials describe the strikes as a campaign to pressure Moscow to end the war by undermining its military logistics and supply lines and weakening its ability to mount assaults along the front.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • Ukrainian officials describe the strikes as a campaign to pressure Moscow to end the war by undermining military logistics and supply lines and weakening its ability to mount front-line assaults.
    — Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of assaults
Noun
  • After Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles, several people filed a lawsuit in July 2025 alleging authorities questioned them without justification.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • The raids were part of Operation Broken Blade, a federal crackdown on activity along the Figueroa corridor.
    — Austin Turner, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of raids
Noun
  • Since the army broke the siege on el-Obeid last year, the RSF has launched multiple offensives in attempts to reestablish the siege from several directions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 June 2026
  • By targeting logistics hubs and resource stockpiles, Ukraine is attacking the systems that sustain Russian offensives.
    — Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Definition of offensives
Noun
  • One interesting trend is that this tournament will feature some very good tight ends, a position that has become increasingly important in college football and the NFL but not so much in high school football in the era of spread offenses.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • Cavalli was not using this as a racial slur, but plenty of black athletes have used it to demean white people without the league getting involved, without suspensions, and zero fines for their offenses.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of offenses
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of onslaughts
Noun
  • Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS.
    — STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
  • Drone strikes and shelling have targeted civilian infrastructure including schools, markets, fuel and water stations, putting over 500,000 people at risk.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of strikes
Noun
  • If the shot is converted, the free throw is worth three points on three-point attempts or two points on two-point attempts.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
  • Firefighters made several attempts to reach them but were unable to rescue them, per the Akron Beacon Journal.
    — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of attempts
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.

Browse Nearby Words

coups de grâce
coups de main
courage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coups de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coups%20de%20main. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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