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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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
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Many of the attacks on Tesla cars and dealerships are allegedly in protest of Elon Musk‘s efforts to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government through pressure from the Department of Government Efficiency.—
Heather Hunter,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Drone surge The January double-tap attack was part of a wider wave of drone raids, reportedly the biggest of the 37-month wider war for the Ukrainians.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
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Rather than each episode being filled with heart-pounding action, the series establishes itself with a frantic, stressful raid on Jamie’s house and his subsequent arrest, then dissolves into a crime show that’s much more meticulous and robust beyond the thrills at the top.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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And the recent onslaught of free-agent additions could just be the start of building up a unit that struggled mightily last season.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2025
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Southwest is already preparing its employees for an onslaught of customer luggage at the gate.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
15 Mar. 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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The Houthi-run Health Ministry said the overnight U.S. strikes killed at least 53 people, the Associated Press reported.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2025
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Either way, drone strikes on logistics seem to have been an important factor.—
David Hambling,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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And by imposing its patient offensive will on Mizzou, with basket after basket after basket in the final five seconds of the shot clock.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2025
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Meanwhile, Israel began a new ground offensive in northern Gaza.—
Ghada Abdulfattah,
The Christian Science Monitor,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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Many political observers and election experts saw the baseless narrative as an attempt to sow doubt about the election results in case Trump lost.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But the inability to generate quality offense shows itself when the Knicks dig themselves a hole and struggle to shoot themselves out of it.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2025
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He was detained by the Taliban's intelligence service on Dec. 5 but was never charged with any crime or offense.—
Shannon K. Kingston,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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