variants
or coup d'etat
as in coup
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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
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
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What began as a power struggle between the army and the powerful paramilitary force — former allies in a coup that removed a civilian government — has spiraled into a devastating war.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
15 Apr. 2026
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Ramagem, also a former lawmaker, was sentenced in September to 16 years in prison for his role in the coup attempt by supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in 2023.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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In 2021, she was profiled by multiple magazines for painting the January 6 insurrection.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
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Facing insurrection charges, Kimbangu was sentenced to death.—
Rodney Muhumuza,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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War could spread beyond Sudan The conflict exploded from a power struggle that emerged following Sudan’s transition to democracy after an uprising forced the military ouster of longtime autocratic President Omar Bashir in April 2019.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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The conflict exploded from a power struggle that emerged following Sudan’s transition to democracy after an uprising forced the military ouster of longtime autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Amnesty International cited survivors as saying that at least 100 people were killed in the airstrike on Saturday on a village in Yobe state, near the border with Borno state, which is the epicenter of the jihadi insurgency that has ravaged the region for over a decade.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Coup d'état.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20d%27%C3%A9tat. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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