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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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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Fierce fighting and long-range attacks continued as Kyiv and Moscow prepare for the revival of talks.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2025
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Incidents like the recent attack where a woman was set on fire while sleeping on a subway train have heightened public fear.—
Paul Dreyer,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Courtesy of Netflix When the raid was going on, a Somali woman named Halima recalls being at a nearby school with 20 children huddled on top of her, vomiting and passing out.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
TIME,
10 Feb. 2025
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Glas, who is twice convicted for corruption, had been seeking asylum from Mexico when the raid took place.—
Max Saltman,
CNN,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Even with an onslaught of policy developments and fears of sticky inflation rocking the market in 2025, a healthy economy underpinning strong earnings growth has mostly helped traders shrug off their concerns.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2025
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But in the end, this new crop of talented Americans was too skilled, too deep and finally broke the game open with an onslaught of goals early in the third.—
Michael Russo,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 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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Last week, a Russian missile strike on the northeastern city of Izyum destroyed part of the city council building, killing at least five people and injuring 50 others.—
Isabelle Khurshudyan and Ellen Francis The Washington Post,
arkansasonline.com,
9 Feb. 2025
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Video footage widely shared on social media purportedly shows the moments of the daytime strike which caused a crater.—
Brendan Cole,
Newsweek,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
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As the offensive unfolds, a British Army hospital at Pompeii, the closest large medical facility to the action, is flooded with casualties— soldiers caked in mud and blood, some in shock, others missing limbs.—
Catherine Musemeche,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 Feb. 2025
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The New York Times counts at least 18 rulings that have put the brakes on Trump’s offensive.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Miguel’s third successful 3-pointer in as many attempts gave them an 18-13 lead, and a pair of free throws by Rice inflated that advantage to 20-14.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Feb. 2025
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Jackson missed on his first four attempts but finally completed a pretty basic two-handed flush.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Moore was in his first — and likely only — year directing the Eagles offense.—
Chadd Cripe,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Feb. 2025
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Of course, replacing Soto’s offense won’t be easy, if even possible.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near coup de main
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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