coup de main

noun

ˌkü-də-ˈmaⁿ How to pronounce coup de main (audio)
Definition of coup de mainnext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coup de main
  1. attack
  2. raid
  3. onslaught
  4. assault
  5. strike
  6. offensive
  7. attempt
  8. offense
Noun
  • Analysts said the attack and its focus on civilians could backfire.
    — arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The attack starts with hackers uploading what looks like a harmless extension to the Chrome Web Store.
    — Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of attack
Noun
  • Military bloggers from both sides say Ukraine is on the back foot, while Ukraine’s army says Russian forces used a gas pipeline to launch a surprise raid in one area.
    — Maria Kostenko, Christian Edwards and Sophie Tanno, CNN, 9 Mar. 2025
  • In separate raids on Crimean anchorages in February, May and June 2024, the USVs sank a corvette, a landing ship, a patrol boat and a tugboat.
    — David Axe, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of raid
Noun
  • The source of the misunderstanding appears to be a map in the 2025 Old Farmer’s Almanac that incorrectly states that Maryland can expect an onslaught of Brood XIV (14) cicadas this year.
    — Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Gascón, the first openly trans actor to be nominated for an Academy Award, faced an onslaught of backlash after old social media posts about George Floyd and Islam came to light.
    — Tracy Wright, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of onslaught
Noun
  • Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.
    — Jacky Wong, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
  • 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
Definition of assault
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Israel has slowly increased its military strikes in Gaza.
    — Aya Batrawy, NPR, 17 Mar. 2025
  • The majority of these strikes happen during the summer, causing around 20 fatalities each year, according to the NWS.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of strike
Noun
  • Such an international force would aim to dissuade Russia from launching another offensive after any cease-fire in Ukraine comes into effect.
    — John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Israel's military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't say how many of the dead were militants.
    — arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of offensive
Noun
  • The Oklahoma City Thunder clinched a spot in the NBA Playoffs after beating the Boston Celtics 118-112 Wednesday in a thrilling game defined by physicality and Boston’s unrelenting dedication to shooting the 3, setting a franchise record with 63 attempts.
    — Jay King, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The one-time All-Star made three rehab appearances last season in an attempt to return for the postseason.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of attempt
Noun
  • Robert jump-started the Sox offense Monday against the Athletics, hitting a home run in the first inning.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Next, the Black Knights offense was rounded out by three additional teammates in double digits, Emely Rodriguez (15 points, 8 rebounds), Khyala Ngodu (12 points, 8 rebounds), and Achol Akot (10 points, 8 rebounds).
    — Allison Smith, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of offense

Browse Nearby Words

coup de main
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All