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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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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According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, about 5:15 p.m. Monday, deputies responded to the area's Valley community for a report of a dog attack.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
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Hamas started the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that left 1,200 dead in Israel, mostly civilians, and took some 250 hostage.—
Samy Magdy and David Rising,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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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
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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
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 majority of these strikes happen during the summer, causing around 20 fatalities each year, according to the NWS.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Mar. 2025
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The strikes began before Trump entered Congress and continued into the morning, indicated by Ukrainian air force alerts.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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The pipeline attack was only one part of a much larger offensive, which made liberal use of glide bombs, first-person view drones, artillery, and missiles.—
Brady Knox,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Wambaugh reportedly supervised production of the film, and the attempt to communicate all of the case’s complexities was born of his desire for realism, but without the simple, appealing narrative structure that simplifying the details would have allowed.—
Carmel Dagan,
Variety,
28 Feb. 2025
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Ani remains resistant to the annulment, and Toros' attempt to initiate it is rejected by the court since the couple was married in Nevada, not New York.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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