coup de théâtre

noun

coup de thé·​âtre ˌkü-də-tā-ˈätrᵊ 

variants or coup de theatre

plural coups de théâtre or coups de theatre ˌkü-də-tā-ˈätrᵊ 

1

: a sudden sensational turn in a play

also : a sudden dramatic effect or turn of events

2

: a theatrical success

Examples of coup de théâtre in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

A lot of lighting, visual and sound effects are required to pull off the coup de theatre. — Scott Hocker, theweek, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French coup de théâtre, literally, stroke of theater

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1