countercoup
noun
coun·ter·coup
ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈkü 
variants
or counter-coup
plural countercoups or counter-coups
: a coup d'état to overthrow or alter a government that was established by an earlier coup d'état
… in 1963, the Baathists had seized power in a coup only to lose it nine months later in a countercoup …—
Jason Zengerle
Jason ZengerleExamples of countercoup in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The king and his family then relocated to northern Greece, seeking to lead a countercoup.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2023
Security forces thwarted the countercoup against two-time coup leader Col. Assimi Goita, according to a government statement.
—Baba Ahmed, ajc, 17 May 2022
When Hamad finally took power from his father in a peaceful coup in 1995, Saudi Arabia allegedly backed a countercoup to restore Khalifa.
—David B. Roberts, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
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Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2023
Security forces thwarted the countercoup against two-time coup leader Col. Assimi Goita, according to a government statement.
—Baba Ahmed, ajc, 17 May 2022
When Hamad finally took power from his father in a peaceful coup in 1995, Saudi Arabia allegedly backed a countercoup to restore Khalifa.
—David B. Roberts, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
Cite this Entry
“Countercoup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countercoup. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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