How to Use coup de grâce in a Sentence

coup de grâce

noun
  • The legislature's decision to cut funding has administered the coup de grâce to the governor's proposal.
  • The coup de grace was Mitchell’s homage to Vince Carter on the last dunk of the night.
    Rohan Nadkarni, SI.com, 17 Feb. 2018
  • And then came his coup de grace, an atonement for the past two weeks.
    Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 12 Feb. 2020
  • The coup de grace was Parsons getting in the ring with a Sumo wrestler in Tokyo.
    Clarence E. Hill Jr., Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2024
  • The album's coup de grace horn parts were added after the fact.
    Randy Lewis, latimes.com, 9 Mar. 2018
  • But for one neighbor, the coup de grace proved to be 300 daffodils.
    Thomas Jewell, cleveland, 20 Oct. 2020
  • Before the coup de Grace, jokes at her expense were a bit risqué.
    The Economist, 24 May 2018
  • The coup de grace is a singing and dancing omelette — the British spelling seems apt — flanked by singing and dancing eggs.
    David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 July 2022
  • The coup de grace came early in the fourth quarter, when Sanders picked off a screen pass and returned it 69 yards for a score.
    Greg Riddle, Dallas News, 26 Sep. 2020
  • Then, to provide the coup de grace, sophomore Michaela Fairwell kicked out to Robinson, who drained a three from the top of the arc.
    Theo MacKie, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2023
  • The coup de grace, however, is the moment the 1,600-ton ship is lifted into the air, her keel snapped in half like a twig.
    Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 16 Sep. 2021
  • The coup de grace came as Russia's war fueled even higher prices.
    Frida Ghitis, CNN, 3 June 2022
  • In a year that’s seen Epic give away more than 50 games, dumping another dozen on the list still feels like one hell of a coup de grace.
    Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, 19 Dec. 2019
  • Bay dogs, which are often curs or hounds, scent pigs out of cover, bark on the track, and bay them for the coup de grace—often when the pig turns to fight.
    The Editors, Field & Stream, 9 Jan. 2023
  • And in the 19th century, European settlers and their coterie of stoats, weasels, cats, and dogs dealt the coup de grace.
    Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2017
  • In what had the look of a gangland-style coup de grace, the barrel of a gun had been thrust into his mouth, and the explosion had blown off the back of his head.
    Steve Helling, PEOPLE.com, 20 Aug. 2019
  • Sometimes the coup de grace is delivered in the bloodstream, after the invader has breached the gates.
    Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2021
  • But the coup de grace is the rooftop deck, which offers city and river views, an outdoor kitchen, ample seating space and gas fire pit.
    Joey Morona, cleveland.com, 2 Feb. 2018
  • The coup de grace was, however, the silver-gray Haider Ackermann suit worn for the movie's Venice premiere.
    CNN, 7 Sep. 2021
  • But Peasley administered the coup de grace with four minutes left.
    Eric Butler | Special To The Tribune, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Nov. 2020
  • The coup de grace was a pick-your-spot laser from the top of the box that split a pair of sliding Galaxy defenders and glanced off Bond’s hand before nestling into the side of the net..
    Chris Bils, Dallas News, 24 July 2021
  • Losing Syria, the only other nation-state in the axis other than Iran, may be the coup de grace.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Losing Syria, the only other nation-state in the axis other than Iran, may be the coup de grace.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
  • The campaign’s coup de grace was a 270-inflatable dragon coiled around the Empire State Building.
    Todd Longwell, Variety, 25 Sep. 2024
  • The photograph was the work of a makeup artist — the coup de grace of a straight-out-of-Hollywood ruse agents had devised to ensnare Aslanian.
    Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2022
  • Repealing Obamacare—which is not the name of the bill, but was branded on it by conservatives for some reason—would be the coup de grace.
    Jack Holmes, Esquire, 21 Sep. 2017
  • Turkey’s closure of the Dardanelles delivered the coup de grace.
    Nicholas A. Lambert, WSJ, 18 Mar. 2022
  • Tommy La Stella put the team ahead with a two-strike single, and Crawford provided the coup de grace with a three-run homer, his 23rd, an on-going career high.
    Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Sep. 2021
  • But the coup de grace is the check.
    Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 June 2026
  • But the coup de grace for the burglars came on April 9, when police arrested the 23-year-old and seized his phone.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 2 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coup de grâce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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