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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Leaders were left stunned Friday after U.S. Vice President JD Vance used his speech at Munich Security Conference to launch an attack on European democracy, provoking strong rebuttals from the region.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2025
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Former President Joe Biden issued Fauci a pre-emptive federal pardon as a hedge against what Biden said could be politically motivated attacks.—
Jim Turner,
Orlando Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The raid, which included dismantling the working 103 kilogram, 18-karat gold toilet, titled America (2016), took only five minutes.—
Francesca Aton,
ARTnews.com,
25 Feb. 2025
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Related article Three men on trial over $6 million gold toilet stolen in ‘audacious raid’ Estele and his wife hope to build a new house with their half of the money, Debuisson said.—
Jack Guy,
CNN,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Change is a constant in most companies, but the ongoing onslaught of organizational change initiatives is creating frustration, exhaustion and burnout for many employees.—
Elizabeth Baskin,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
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Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago in an onslaught that has killed tens of thousands and displaced about 10 million people.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN,
24 Feb. 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 21-year-old Utah Royals forward cut inside from the left channel, took a few touches and unleashed a rocket-like strike from about 30 yards, which swerved into the right side of the net.—
Manasi Pathak,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
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The likelihood of a strike will fluctuate as astronomers learn more about the asteroid’s path around the sun, and the probability may eventually drop to zero.—
Alexandra Koch,
Fox News,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Israel's Gaza offensive killed at least 48,000 Palestinians, according to officials in the Hamas-run territory cited by the Associated Press.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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Israel has been carrying out a broad military offensive in the occupied territory since the ceasefire took effect.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
arkansasonline.com,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But most foods know no gender, and brands risk alienating certain groups through the attempt of specifically alluring another.—
Andrew Watman,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Iran has been linked by U.S. officials to several assassination plots against Trump, not including the two notable attempts on his life during the campaign trail.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Johnson’s focus then will shift toward building a successful offense before intensifying the mission of building a winning culture at 1920 Football Drive.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2025
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All the excitement that Longo’s variation of an air raid offense brought quickly fizzled.—
Jesse Temple,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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