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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At the most recent debate, hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo 52 on May 6, the seven candidates again clashed over housing and immigration, while Becerra and Steyer faced fierce attacks from both sides of the political spectrum, The Los Angeles Times reported.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026 -
As the United States has escalated its attacks on Iran, there’s something pleasingly transgressive about bringing Iranian elements into such overtly Western music—so much so that the songs without Yaghmai’s playing seem a little subdued in comparison.—
Molly Mary O’Brien,
Pitchfork,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the long-range strikes ‘entirely justified’ retaliation for Russian assaults on Kyiv, as Moscow reported intercepting more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones over its territory and occupied Crimea.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
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One woman who hid during the attack at a music festival described hearing multiple assaults, according to the report.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Noun
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Several other concerns were raised during the roughly three-hour hearing, including questions about how to best protect visitors and participants from federal immigration raids.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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While those behind the recent maritime raids have yet to be identified, previous ship captures have often involved young Somalis from impoverished communities and armed extremists affiliated with global terror networks.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Noun
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The Oilers won nine series in the last four years and represented the West in unsuccessful offensives against the Florida Panthers in each of the past two Junes.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
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The army has retaken territory from ethnic militias, including the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which had launched powerful offensives along with pro-democracy resistance forces in northeastern Myanmar near the Chinese border and in western Myanmar.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rostas was arrested and charged with state forgery, larceny, interfering with an officer and criminal impersonation offenses.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2026
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Prosecutors have been told to consider whether protest placards, banners and chants viewed on social media may amount to offenses of stirring up hatred during the rallies.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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However, Samsung's workers' union disputed the impact of the strikes, saying in a statement that previous production pauses had occurred for equipment inspection, maintenance and process adjustments.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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The attack, the largest and most deadly to target the Russian capital region since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, showed Kyiv’s increasing ability to carry out long-range strikes.—
Natalia Abbakumova,
Washington Post,
17 May 2026
Noun
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After various attempts to get in contact with Jordan, Wendy, a LifeCare social worker, received a call from an unknown number.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
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That includes bank levies or attempts to garnish non-exempt income.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
18 May 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 23 May. 2026.
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