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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The Kings have prioritized defense for most of the past two decades, often playing a sticky, trapping style that doesn’t promote offensive creativity or attack.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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Severe is the second-highest rung on a five-point scale and means intelligence agencies consider an attack highly likely in the next six months.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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The assault killed at least seventeen people, including a twelve-year-old boy, wounded dozens, and destroyed buildings.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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Allen will be arraigned Monday on charges, including assault of a federal officer and discharging a firearm in an attempt to kill a federal officer.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Pritzker last fall tasked the Illinois Accountability Commission with fact-finding about the sweeping Chicago-area raids for posterity, the public eye and potential future law enforcement actions, but the panel itself has no direct law enforcement power.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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The same nurses hailed as essential workers during the pandemic are now dealing with the impact of ICE raids and ICE presence in hospitals, endangering nurses and their patients.—
Sonia Lawrence,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown and spiraled into a 14-year civil war that ended with Assad’s ouster in December 2024 in a lightning rebel offensive.—
Ghaith Alsayed,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown and spiraled into a 14-year civil war that ended with Assad's ouster in December 2024 in a lightning rebel offensive.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Detroit turned up the heat on defense while Orlando’s offense came to a complete halt.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
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Stearns stuck him with an aging hitter who didn’t have spring training in Tommy Pham to try to jumpstart the offense and give Mendoza a bench piece that could hit left-handed pitching.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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This onslaught has led to a musical chairs of lawsuits and settlements—and, occasionally, partnerships—between the Big Three labels and the AI startups attempting to crib their artists’ styles.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
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Makar’s second-period brilliance held as the game-winning goal, while Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews added to the onslaught in the third period.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Frey keeps hitters guessing because of his rare ability to throw five different pitches for strikes.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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Jonathan Vasquez a week into the strike.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Minnesota is playing with aggression.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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Throughout the regular season, Donte DiVincenzo was used to being the one who had to set the tone for Minnesota with his effort and aggression.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coup de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20main. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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