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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In one attack in late January, Russian drones hit an apartment complex in an overnight attack, killing nine people and injuring 13.—
Joanna Kakissis,
NPR,
11 July 2025
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But then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin repudiated the deal, saying a decision on the death penalty in an attack as grave as Sept. 11 should only be made by the defense secretary.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 July 2025
Noun
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The details of a raid can be useful for the non-citzen’s legal case.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
19 July 2025
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These are parents who may lose health care coverage, immigrants afraid of being swept up in a raid, families who count on assistance programs to feed their children.—
State Sen. MD Rahman,
Hartford Courant,
18 July 2025
Noun
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The show issued a similar warning to viewers last year before the season six reunion as contestants had received an onslaught of online criticism.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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Miller and his platoon not only survive the onslaught in Normandy, but they are tasked with the unthinkable.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 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,
14 July 2025
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Israel’s parallel October strike on Iran succeeded in destroying Iran’s air defense architecture, leaving its nuclear facilities exposed.—
Ilan Berman,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
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And then there is fellow Californian Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s immigration offensive.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 July 2025
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Israel responded with an offensive that has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is led by medical professionals employed by the Hamas government.—
WAFAA SHURAFA,
arkansasonline.com,
6 July 2025
Noun
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James buried his first attempt over Flagg, and then hit a 3-pointer after the 6-foot-8 Flagg missed his second attempt to give the Lakers a 5-0 lead.—
Staff,
Oc Register,
11 July 2025
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These attempts challenge long-standing norms of academic freedom—that is, the ability of a teacher or researcher in higher education to investigate and discuss subjects without fear of political interference.—
Matt Motta,
Scientific American,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Despite a decade of scandal — from Maria Sharapova to Simona Halep — tennis continues to treat doping as a serious offense with minor consequences, and the inconsistent, sometimes clumsy approach to rendering judgment only fuels skepticism.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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Currently, Russia is making modest gains against Ukraine and may soon seek to leverage those advances to launch additional offenses in the eastern reach of the country, according to a recent assessment from the Institute of the Study of War.—
Shannon K. Kingston,
ABC News,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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