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
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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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On Friday, a Russian ballistic missile and drone attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih -- Zelenskyy's home town -- killed 19 people, including nine children.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2025
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There has been a big labor split, however, with carpenters and laborers unions going heavily for Moreno — and waging tough attacks against Aguirre.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The woman, who sued under a Jane Doe pseudonym, told jurors that Way allegedly first raped her in a bathroom during a police raid of his home in mid-February 2019.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
1 Apr. 2025
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For now, the Trump administration is loosening rules on commanders conducting military raids and airstrikes, expanding the range of people and places that can be targeted.—
Anna Mulrine Grobe,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Eight minutes of additional time permitted a late Brentford onslaught.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
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Trump’s onslaught of tariffs heralds a new industrial policy era in the U.S. where the government will intervene more in free markets, and companies will have less flexibility in their decision making.—
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 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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About 10,000 King Soopers workers were on strike that week and returned to their jobs on Feb. 18, just after the deadline.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2025
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The most obvious was the details that Secretary of Defense Hegseth provided on the strike plans.—
Dakota Rudesill,
The Conversation,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Israel's offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, including hundreds killed in strikes since a ceasefire ended about two weeks ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't say whether those killed are civilians or combatants.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
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Israel’s offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.—
Isaac Scharf and Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Alencar secured four of five takedown attempts and maintained 12:38 of control time en route to the dominant win.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Trump also survived two assassination attempts in July and September.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His federal charges include hate crimes and weapons offenses.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2025
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And although Texas’ offense was similarly slowed at points, Booker and Texas senior guard Rori Harmon, having scored 13 points, helped the Longhorns do just enough.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
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