coup d'état

variants or coup d'etat
Definition of coup d'étatnext

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 d'état The Minister of the Supreme Court of Brazil, Alexandre de Moraes, participates in the plenary session of the Supreme Court (STF) in Brazil on Feb. 20, 2025, after the Attorney General's Office (PGR) indicts the former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, for plotting a coup d'etat in 2023. Dan Mangan, CNBC, 30 July 2025 General Muhammadu Buhari, dictator of Nigeria, following a successful coup d'etat against Shehu Shagari. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025 Viktor learns of a coup d'etat in his country while at New York's JFK Airport, and, after the U.S. refuses to recognize his passport, he is forced to stay at the airport's terminal. Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025 Spain The former king of Spain, Juan Carlos, saw an explosion of popularity in the 1980s after helping to foil a coup d'etat attempt. Justin Klawans, theweek, 27 Feb. 2024 The ceremony came after Nguema seized power in a coup d'etat last week, in the latest usurping of control in African countries. Justin Klawans, The Week, 4 Sep. 2023 Also in attendance at that event was the junta leader who seized power in Guinea a little over a year after Mali's coup d'etat. Krista Larson, ajc, 24 Sep. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coup d'état
Noun
  • Born in Santiago in 1952, Agüero studied architecture before turning to film studies, graduating soon after Chile’s popular socialist president Salvador Allende was overthrown in a military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet.
    Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Chavez was a military officer who attempted an unsuccessful coup in 1992.
    CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Four waves of protest since 2017 have explicitly demanded its overthrow.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Washington at one point also pushed for the overthrow of Iran’s theocracy.
    Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • But above all – with inflation and gas prices on the rise, and the MAGA base openly in revolt – Trump urgently needs a deal.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
  • During the Arab Spring revolts of the early 2010s, Cairo was routinely racked by blackouts, and Mansour teamed up with an architect friend to experiment with rooftop solar on houses.
    Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In 2021, she was profiled by multiple magazines for painting the January 6 insurrection.
    Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Facing insurrection charges, Kimbangu was sentenced to death.
    Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The military was brought in to stop the uprising and the conflict evolved into a separatist insurgency.
    Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
  • One example might be the inconvenience caused by a mass political uprising, one that risks the security, safety, and comfort of its participants.
    Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • But most work never got off the ground, mired in red tape, corruption, and security risks due to the Taliban insurgency.
    ABC News, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
  • The insurgency is of particular interest to the U.S. as Mozambique has moved to the top of the U.S.’s priority list in Africa after years of neglect, according to the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan think tank.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 6 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coup d'état.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20d%27%C3%A9tat. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster