coup de grâce

noun

ˌkü-də-ˈgräs How to pronounce coup de grâce (audio)
variants or coup de grace
Definition of coup de grâcenext
as in determinant
something (as a fact or argument) that is decisive or overwhelming the prosecutor presented his coupe de grâce—a videotape of the beating

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 de grâce 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 Israel softened up the target; America delivered the coup de grace. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 July 2025 The coup de grace was delivered a minute into injury time as Mount seized on a poor clearance from Athletic goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 9 May 2025 The coup de grace will come some five billion years from now, when our expanding red giant sun engulfs and incinerates poor little Earth. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for coup de grâce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coup de grâce
  1. determinant
  2. crusher
  3. clincher
  4. topper
Noun
  • Use Multiple Data Points Wealth indicators provide a partial snapshot of an individual’s financial position and should not be the sole determinant of a donor’s capacity to make a significant gift.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Many of those outcomes can be attributed to social determinants of health, like affordability, care access and transportation.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of determinant
Noun
  • Qatar did the same for reckless driving two years ago, feeding a Toyota Supra into a car crusher after its driver was filmed doing donuts on a highway.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Hundreds of Denver comics also performed there, with nationally touring acts such as Ben Roy and Andrew Orvedahl (Cayton-Holland’s Grawlix partners) and crushers such as Josh Blue, Janae Burris, Troy Walker, and Christie Buchele.
    — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 16 July 2026
Definition of crusher
Noun
  • Bregman had played in 153 of the Cubs’ 156 games before missing Tuesday’s loss to the Marlins, which denied the Cubs the clincher.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Tampa Bay took the AL East for the first time since 2021 and surpassed that team by three days with the earliest division clincher in team history.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of clincher
Noun
  • Gen Z is increasingly embracing mixers and toppers to customize meals and add variety.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • If your mattress could use a comfort boost, this mattress topper that more than 30,000 people picked up in the past month is an easy upgrade.
    — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of topper

Browse Nearby Words

coup d'oeil
coup de grâce
coup de main
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Coup de grâce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coup%20de%20gr%C3%A2ce. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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