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.
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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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No suspects have been arrested or identified, and investigators were unsure whether the attack was random or targeted because the victims were American.Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 31 Dec. 2024
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The relentless Russian attacks have led to a buckling of the lines in parts of eastern Ukraine, experts say.Marc Santora, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The raid drove polygamy in fundamentalist Mormon communities further underground and allowed people like Warren Jeffs to rally followers by using their fear of the government.Jeremy Duda, Axios, 18 Dec. 2024
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The recent raid of a woman’s Tennessee home, where more than 300 vials fake weight loss drugs were found, sheds light on a growing concern across the country as the black market for such medicines explodes.Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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There would still be an ongoing onslaught of private interests the same way that John Dutton experienced it.Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2024
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But experts say people need to be prepared for an onslaught of activity and take precautions.Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
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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Yonhap cited airport authorities as saying the landing gear may have malfunctioned due to a bird strike.Reuters, USA TODAY, 29 Dec. 2024
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The control tower at Muan International Airport had issued a bird strike warning while the Jeju Air plane was trying to land shortly before 9 a.m local time, the Yonhap News Agency reported, citing officials from the Transport Ministry.David Faris, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024
Noun
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That the pickup-and-sedan assault failed doesn’t mean the overall Russian offensive will fail.David Axe, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
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But Israel's military plans for a major offensive in Gaza may reshape the course of the conflict, depending on the outcome of talks and possible further hostilities.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The rocky democratic landscape just seemed to get bumpier as a dramatic year careened toward its end, with mass protests in Mozambique and Georgia, an election annulled in Romania and an attempt to impose martial law in South Korea.Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
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Through the first three quarters of the game, Love had just 64 passing yards while completing 10 of 17 attempts.Steve Silverman, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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He was charged with federal counts of murder using a firearm, two counts of stalking and an additional firearms offense.Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
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In his state case, Mangione is accused of first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism, second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism — which carries a maximum prison term of life without parole — and nine other offenses.John Annese, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024
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 6 Jan. 2025.
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