coup de grâce

noun

ˌkü-də-ˈgräs How to pronounce coup de grâce (audio)
variants or coup de grace
Definition of coup de grâcenext
as in determinant
something (as a fact or argument) that is decisive or overwhelming the prosecutor presented his coupe de grâce—a videotape of the beating

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of coup de grâce The coup de grace was delivered a minute into injury time as Mount seized on a poor clearance from Athletic goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 9 May 2025 The coup de grace will come some five billion years from now, when our expanding red giant sun engulfs and incinerates poor little Earth. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 May 2025 The coup de grace came Thursday in a 6-4 Oilers’ win at a raucous Rogers Place, which has become a house of horrors for the Kings. — Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025 The coup de grace is a 60 minute relaxing massage followed by a natural mood-boosting HigherDose red-light mask. — Rona Berg, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coup de grâce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coup de grâce
  1. determinant
  2. crusher
  3. clincher
  4. topper
Noun
  • Appropriately applying context is the primary determinant of success with agentic assistants.
    — Jason Andersen, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Because even if Anthropic wanted to play that role, being both the provider of a hackable service and the blocking of cyberterrorists, the insurance companies, the determinants of who gets coverage, would never allow it.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 5 July 2026
Definition of determinant
Noun
  • Adventure bikes have ballooned into 600-pound continent crushers.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 July 2026
  • The background here, what happened, and the history itself, prior to us finding the engine itself that escaped the crusher.
    — Joel Feder, The Drive, 17 June 2026
Definition of crusher
Noun
  • Adding to Rezaeian’s agony, right before the final whistle another potential clincher, a header from Khalilzadeh, hit the crossbar.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 28 June 2026
  • Reinhart also has 32 goals across four Stanley Cup playoff runs, scoring the game-winner in Florida’s first Cup clincher in 2024 and scoring four goals in their second Cup clincher in 2025.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 22 June 2026
Definition of clincher
Noun
  • The latest iteration of the glass cups is pink and features the viral bear wearing a hat with a strawberry straw topper.
    — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • This topper will easily fit your mattress, too, thanks to its deep pockets designed for mattresses up to 21 inches thick.
    — Aashna Gheewalla, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of topper

Browse Nearby Words

coup d'oeil
coup de grâce
coup de main
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Cite this Entry

“Coup de grâce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20gr%C3%A2ce. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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