COUPS DE MAIN Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

coups de main

noun

plural of coup de main

as in attacks

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 Synonyms for coups de main

Noun

In his statement, Dan also blamed Russia for a spate of attacks in recent weeks on civilian maritime transport in the Black Sea, which has left at least three people dead and has raised fears of an escalation in Russia's war against Ukraine.

— STEPHEN McGRATH, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
The bomber could potentially conduct electronic attacks alongside its existing weapons operations, reducing its dependence on specialized escort aircraft in certain scenarios.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of attacks

Noun

In December 2024, FBI agents and local police arrested the men during pre-dawn raids on their homes in Miami Beach and their parents’ home in Bal Harbour.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
The Israeli military launched large-scale domestic military exercises on Sunday to counter surprise border infiltrations and ground raids across northern and central Israel, mobilizing multiple divisions and air assets amid rising regional tensions.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of raids

Noun

Ukraine can conduct localized offensives but not enough to shift the broader battlefield balance, despite mounting Russian losses.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Only small offensives are possible Ukraine can conduct localized offensives but not enough to shift the broader battlefield balance, despite mounting Russian losses.

— Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of offensives

Noun

The league’s best offenses find ways to get the ball to their best playmakers.

— Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 29 Oct. 2026
According to the outlet, Scotland Yard said the letter contained several allegations of offenses outside the United Kingdom, but police did not launch an investigation at the time.

— Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of offenses

Noun

Its songs are littered with black holes, disasters, nuclear bombs; there are guttural screams and onslaughts of distorted guitar.

— Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
In fact, reported evidence suggests this software commitment (from a company making its revenue from hardware) has been crucial to Nvidia’s success in fending off onslaughts from other hardware vendors such as Intel.

— Nisha Talagala, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of onslaughts

Noun

Experts said some of the tension – particularly on issues related to diesel, with Trump blaming Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries for soaring prices rather than the Iran war – may dissipate after the US midterms.

— Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
DeShields was 18-of-33 passing for 294 yards and threw scoring strikes of 1, 55 and 19 yards to Harris.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of strikes

Noun

Assassination attempts against Putin's foes -- routinely denied by the Kremlin -- have been common during his decades in power.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
The Horned Frogs averaged more rushing attempts than passing attempts while going 13-2.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of attempts

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

coups de grâce

coups de main

courage

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“Coups de main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coups%20de%20main. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of coups de main

noun

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