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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The White House budget proposes cutting funding for the federal agency created after the September 11, 2001 attacks by $52 million and would require small airports to enroll in a program in which TSA pays for private screeners.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026 -
The attacks bring into sharp relief how some of the key selling points of crypto — decentralization from banks, the ease of transferring large sums, irreversible transactions — also double as its vulnerabilities.—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Washington reports only assaults involving a dangerous weapon.—
Stella Canino-Quinones,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The detective said police believe all of the suspects who committed the in-person robberies and assaults in the Bay Area and California have been arrested.—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Israeli forces had launched raids into southern Lebanon for years, during the war against Hamas in Gaza, and then as the current Iran war began, but the operations have expanded significantly in recent weeks.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Widiyatmoko said a day before Lyons' arrest in Bali, police in Scotland and Spain carried out raids in connection with the case, with the help of Europol, a European Union law enforcement cooperation hub.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But the forces being deployed are light infantry, units that lack the large armored vehicles, including tanks, that typically underpin sustained ground offensives.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Putin is widely expected to launch new offensives as the weather in Ukraine improves, piling further pressure on Kyiv.—
Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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His rise to becoming a second-team All-American coincided with Illinois’ rise to becoming one of the best offenses in the country.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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Most people would agree that cheating and planning a school shooting are hardly equal offenses, and Borgli doesn't totally stick the landing by sweeping Emma's past impulses under the rug.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When will these onslaughts of cold end?—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The right-handed Bird got ahead of pinch-hitter Graham Pauley with two quick strikes.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
6 Apr. 2026
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Tehran has continued strikes on economic and infrastructure targets in the neighboring Gulf region, including Kuwait's oil headquarters.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Redshirt freshman Canaan Moore played in one game, against Eastern Washington, hitting one of his two field-goal attempts and all four extra points.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Isbel has recorded three steals on three attempts (10th in MLB).—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 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 7 Apr. 2026.
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