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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For the most part, Israel’s response to Hamas’s devastating October 7 attack was confined to the Gaza Strip.Carrie A. Lee, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024
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Episodes often feature logistically complex armed attacks, guided from afar by the top brass, played by the likes of Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, Jennifer Ehle, and Bruce McGill.Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Adding to her woes was an FBI raid on her home this past summer.Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Nov. 2024
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Huerta said the fear created by those raids helped propel her into the fight for farmworker rights.Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Look at what China's doing to sustain Russia's war-making machine with the cash Vladimir Putin needs but also with the equipment and the hardware necessary to build these missiles that are continuing this onslaught.CBS News, CBS News, 24 Nov. 2024
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These changes in education have coincided with an onslaught led by politicians against the public school system that has encouraged a decrease in investment in schools, and for parents who can afford it to move their children to private schools or find alternative education.Mary Dagold, Baltimore Sun, 21 Nov. 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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The strikes were accompanied by low-altitude flights of hostile drones over the area, NNA said.Abeer Salman, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
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Russia has launched a number of deadly strikes on Ukraine this week, including an hourslong nationwide assault Sunday that killed at least nine people.Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, however, continues where at least 44,330 people have been killed and 104,933 wounded, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.Zac Ntim, Deadline, 28 Nov. 2024
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Advertisement The Marcos administration’s legal offensive against Duterte, her father and their allies is a critical juncture in a conflict that has seethed over the last two years between the two most powerful families in the Philippines.Jim Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In addition to the 900-plus people convicted of federal crimes related to the insurrection attempt, multiple advisers and officials from Trump’s first administration, from 2017-21, were charged on a range of matters and, in some cases, convicted.John Scott Lewinski, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 29 Nov. 2024
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Over decades, my attempts to conquer the Spanish language have been repulsed.Calvin Trillin, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Quarterback Jalen Hurts leads an offense that also features star running back Saquon Barkley and receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
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Police arrested a student at Cedar Park Middle School on Friday morning for an offense related to a school threat, officials said.Claire Osborn, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 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 3 Dec. 2024.
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