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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With fees as high as $233 million (€200 million) quoted for the World Cup winner, however, Barca doesn’t have that kind of cash on hand and might have to look towards the summer to possibly pull off the coup.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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At the same time, Ecuador’s populist government grew increasingly unstable, leading to a 1963 military coup.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Their tight defense forced an overthrow, and Venice’s receiver tipped the ball into Allen’s hands.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
15 Jan. 2026
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Hope for the overthrow of Iran’s authoritarian government has turned to fear as authorities impose internet blackouts and wage deadly crackdowns against demonstrators.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Soon afterward, the White House encouraged a revolt by senior Venezuelan military leaders and other government officials—a hapless, underplanned effort that quickly fell apart.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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The society’s equilibrium has been profoundly disrupted and can easily tip into escalating popular revolts and open elite resistance, producing a revolution.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The latest hiccup in the newsroom stemmed from the new anchor of CBS Evening News framing the January 6, 2021, insurrection as a partisan squabble.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
12 Jan. 2026
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On Tuesday, the fifth anniversary of the insurrection, the White House released an official webpage that rewrites the day’s history.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Promoted domestically as a tale of peasant uprising, the film later became a cult curiosity abroad, often mocked for its special effects but recognized as one of the country’s most technically ambitious productions.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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This is because monetary policy utterly lacks the excitement of battles or uprisings and the drama of high-level diplomacy.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In April, 1992, Fujimori asserted full autocratic powers and drastically stepped up the counter-insurgency operation.—
Paul Elie,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
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An insurgency that ties the United States down in Venezuela would delight Beijing and Russia.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 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 23 Jan. 2026.
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