as in successes
a successful result brought about by hard work
winning that big contract was a real coup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 coups
Despite a wave of military coups and disputed election results in parts of the continent in recent years, economic challenges faced by Africans outweighed concerns over democratic norms and the rule of law.
—
Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Burkina Faso is among a growing number of countries in West and Central Africa that have seen a surge in coups and delays to the return of democratic rule.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Unlike coups or insurrections, which are swift and explicit, modern democratic backsliding is often incremental.
—Helena Carpio, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
There were also crackdowns and coups and the Bangladesh Liberation War, the India-Pakistan War.
—Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
Both Republicans and Democrats throughout history have backed coups in Latin American countries, including Cuba, Chile and Panama.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
National leaders, when killed by foreign adversaries, had usually been dealt with through coups and via proxy militias.
—Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
The Venezuelan government has denied these allegations, portraying the agency as essential to defending national sovereignty against coups and foreign intervention.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Zia’s fight against the military dictatorship Bangladesh’s early years of independence, gained in a bloody 1971 war against Pakistan, were marked by assassinations, coups and countercoups as military figures and secular and Islamic leaders jockeyed for power.
—CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Burkina Faso is among a growing number of countries in West and Central Africa that have seen a surge in coups and delays to the return of democratic rule.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Unlike coups or insurrections, which are swift and explicit, modern democratic backsliding is often incremental.
—Helena Carpio, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
There were also crackdowns and coups and the Bangladesh Liberation War, the India-Pakistan War.
—Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
Both Republicans and Democrats throughout history have backed coups in Latin American countries, including Cuba, Chile and Panama.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
National leaders, when killed by foreign adversaries, had usually been dealt with through coups and via proxy militias.
—Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
The Venezuelan government has denied these allegations, portraying the agency as essential to defending national sovereignty against coups and foreign intervention.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Zia’s fight against the military dictatorship Bangladesh’s early years of independence, gained in a bloody 1971 war against Pakistan, were marked by assassinations, coups and countercoups as military figures and secular and Islamic leaders jockeyed for power.
—CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coups
Noun
-
One of our best successes has been building an agentic team called the Marketing Studio to roll out in product campaigns end to end.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
But looking back, that was the high-water mark for Ukraine’s successes on the battlefield.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
What the 6-foot-10 Okafor did on the basketball court after arriving from Houston in 2001 speaks for itself, and let’s allow some of those accomplishments to repeat themselves for a moment.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The accomplishments of the civil-rights movement in the nineteen-fifties and sixties and of the Sanctuary Movement in the eighties depended, in part, on the infrastructure, moral clarity, and greater purpose of the church.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Created in 2016, the annual American Black Film Festival Honors is a gala event that pays tribute to the outstanding achievements in film and television from Black artists and creatives.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The council will also hear a presentation about achievements at Kansas State University’s Olathe campus.—
Kendrick Calfee
Updated February 17,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coups. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
