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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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
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On Friday and Saturday, the pope spoke on the phone to Rev. Gabriel Romanelli and his assistant, Father Yusuf Asad, in Gaza City, northern Gaza – who have been in frequent communication since Israel launched its war following the October 7 attacks.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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That onslaught quieted the very pro-Finland crowd full of Canadians eager to root against their country’s biggest hockey rival.—
Stephen Whyno,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
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But in the end, this new crop of talented Americans was too skilled, too deep and finally broke the game open with an onslaught of goals early in the third.—
Michael Russo,
The Athletic,
14 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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The New York Times counts at least 18 rulings that have put the brakes on Trump’s offensive.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Feb. 2025
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Kursk operation—Ukraine struck inside Russia to create a buffer zone and weaken its forces before a new offensive.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Miguel’s third successful 3-pointer in as many attempts gave them an 18-13 lead, and a pair of free throws by Rice inflated that advantage to 20-14.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Feb. 2025
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Some grocery chains, including Trader Joe’s and Kroger, have placed limits on the amount of eggs shoppers can purchase in an attempt to address the shortage.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
16 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 28 Feb. 2025.
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