plural coups
ˈküz 
1
: a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics and especially the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group : coup d'état
In its first few hours, the coup seemed a terrifying confirmation of the power of the military, the police and, especially, the KGB.—
David Remnick
David RemnickBy nightfall, the troops had freed the captured President and ended the six-day-old coup, a military spokesman said.—Marlise Simons
Marlise Simons2
: a brilliant, sudden, and usually highly successful stroke or act
It's an impressive coup for the NCAA and its corporate sponsors to snag an artist with Springsteen's cachet for this event.—Chris Strauss
Chris StraussFrom time to time, the conspiracy groupies pull off a huge disinformation coup.—Alex Kozinski
Alex KozinskiForeseeing a publicity coup, chairman Roger Smith was determined to exhibit an electric car at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January 1990.—Mark Fischetti
see also coup de grâce
Mark FischettiSynonyms
Examples of coup in a Sentence
Noun
It was a major coup when they got the Vice President to appear on their show for an interview.
winning that big contract was a real coup
Recent Examples on the WebLizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
That same year, Chile's socialist president, Salvador Allende, was ousted in a U.S.-backed coup.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coup 
Noun
By age four, I’d been expelled from preschool for peeling the paint off the walls after leading nap-time coups.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
That same year, Chile's socialist president, Salvador Allende, was ousted in a U.S.-backed coup.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coup
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coup.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near coup
Cite this Entry
“Coup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coup. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
coup
noun
: injury occurring on the side of an organ (as the brain) on which a blow or impact is received compare contrecoup
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