coupcoup /kuː/ ●○○ noun [countable] 
Haiti’s first elected president was deposed in a violent military coup. a coup attempt by junior officers He evaded capture after the failed coup.► see thesaurus at revolution2an achievement that is extremely impressive because it was very difficult: Beating Arsenal was a major coup for the club.COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa military/army coup· He seized power in a military coup in 1977.an attempted/abortive/failed coup (=one that did not succeed)· There was an attempted coup against Togo’s military dictator.a successful/unsuccessful coup· The armed forces are too weak to mount a successful coup.a bloody/bloodless coup (=with or without killing and violence)· In 1974, the regime was overthrown in a bloodless coup.a presidential coup (=in which power is taken from a president)· The new leader returned the country to democratic rule following his presidential coup.verbsplan/plot a coup· They were arrested and accused of plotting a coup against the government.stage/mount/launch a coup (=attempt one)· Later that year, the rebels staged an unsuccessful coup.foil/crush a coup (=stop it from being successful)· The government foiled an armed coup by rebel soldiers.be deposed/overthrown in a coup (=lose power in a coup)· The prime minister was deposed in a coup by the armed forces.coup + NOUNa coup attempt· There have been repeated coup attempts against the government.the coup leader· The coup leaders escaped when the rest of the men were arrested.a coup plot· He was imprisoned for his part in a coup plot against the regime.
WORD ORIGINcoup
Origin:
1700-1800 French ‘hit, stroke’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Ben Bella was overthrown in a military coup in 1965.
- Getting to host the race was a coup for the Santa Cruz Yacht Club.
- But the coup the youngest daughter most wanted was to reconcile with her father in a big way.
- For Stewart, the Athens dispatches were a journalistic coup of the first rank.
- S.-backed coup which overthrew a democratically elected government.
- The next morning, a week after his coup, senior army officers told him his time had run out.
- There they argued inconclusively, and the students prepared to stage a coup in Jakarta.
THESAURUS
an attempt by a large group of people at revolution: · a popular uprising (=involving ordinary people, not the army)
an occasion when a group of people, especially soldiers, suddenly take control of a country: · a military coup
Longman Language Activatoran attempt by the army to take control of the government an attempt by the army to take control of the government: · Tomorrow is the anniversary of the coup that brought a military dictatorship to power here nine years ago.coup/coup d'état against: · He led a successful coup against the government of Iraq.military coup: · In April 1974, a military coup took place in Lisbon.coup attempt/attempted coup: · The coup attempt was followed by police brutality, executions, and torture.· They smashed an attempted coup by the communists, leaving hundreds dead.abortive/failed coup (=one that does not succeed): · Peru offered refuge to officers who had taken part in the abortive coup.· The government imposed a state of emergency after the failed coup d'état.stage a coup (=attempt a coup): · The chief of the armed forces intended to take power by staging a coup d'état.
a successful attempt by the army to take control of their own country by removing the legal government: · The election was the first since the military takeover in 1980.· The economic crisis and the threat from separatist guerrillas led to a military takeover.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadjectives an abortive military coup The rebellion was led by the King’s brother.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
1a sudden and sometimes violent attempt by citizens or the army to take control of the government SYN coup d'état: · He seized power in a military coup in 1977.
(=one that did not succeed)· There was an attempted coup against Togo’s military dictator.
· The armed forces are too weak to mount a successful coup.
(=with or without killing and violence)· In 1974, the regime was overthrown in a bloodless coup.
(=in which power is taken from a president)· The new leader returned the country to democratic rule following his presidential coup.
verbs· They were arrested and accused of plotting a coup against the government.
(=attempt one)· Later that year, the rebels staged an unsuccessful coup.
(=stop it from being successful)· The government foiled an armed coup by rebel soldiers.
(=lose power in a coup)· The prime minister was deposed in a coup by the armed forces.
coup + NOUN· There have been repeated coup attempts against the government.
· The coup leaders escaped when the rest of the men were arrested.
· He was imprisoned for his part in a coup plot against the regime.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES an abortive military coup (=an attempt to change the government, usually by force)· The US helped to crush the coup attempt.
The rebellion was led by the King’s brother.· Rumblings from recent abortive coup plots coupled with an erosion of army discipline have reportedly weakened Guei's grip on the military.· The charges against Enrile arose from the abortive coup attempt of December 1989, the most serious military insurrection Aquino to date.
· It was reported that he would be tried by a military court on corruption charges and for plotting an alleged coup.
· The attempted coup was eventually suppressed by the loyal Army command.· There have already been two attempted coups against him.· Joshua Oupo Gqozo, survived a further attempted coup.· An attempted coup in August was frustrated by the timorous behaviour of the Abuna, who stayed away from a crucial meeting.· A group of 33 officers were charged on Feb. 18 with leading or helping to stage the attempted coup.· It announced on July 15 that an attempted coup had been foiled the previous night.· News reports in December indicating that there had been an attempted coup were subsequently dismissed by Jawara as groundless rumours.
· Chatichai Choonhaven in a bloodless coup on Feb. 23.· After a succession of Presidents, in 1964 the military took control following a bloodless coup.
· It was the worst violence Moscow had seen since the failed coup of August 1991.· President Gamul Abdel Nasser had dissolved the organization after a failed coup attempt in Alexandria in which he claimed it was involved.
· The transfer is a great coup for Alex Ferguson and, at £1.2m has got to be classed as a bargain.· Actually, the master criminal was carrying out his greatest coup, to murder and replace the world's most influential intelligence.· That was Angeli's greatest coup.· But the greatest coup of all was engineering publication of her side of the story of her failed marriage.
· It is a major publicity coup for the Ulster company, which sells its hand-made guitars all over the world.· The Stadium management thinks it's a major coup.· The measures represent a major coup by central government against local government and the unions.· The Metropolis in Saltcoats, for example, recently pulled off a major coup by securing a live set from Chaka Khan.
· There has been a high incidence of political succession by means of military coups d'état.· A military coup was carried out, and a repressive government was placed in power.· The civilian government was deposed in a military coup in December 1983, and another military coup took place in August 1985.· The chaotic situation gave an opening for the military coup.· The civilian government was deposed in a military coup in December 1983, and another military coup took place in August 1985.· Provoke a military coup against Hussein.· Jerry Rawlings rode into office on the back of a bloody military coup in 1979.
· While condemning the Soviet coup, Marchais had described it as understandable in view of the failure of perestroika.
NOUN· The following month he publicly waived the death sentence hanging over the organizers of the second coup attempt of 1983.· These leaders have all denied involvement in any coup attempt.· Even now, although the latest rebellion has been contained, military leaders say another coup attempt is possible.· President Gamul Abdel Nasser had dissolved the organization after a failed coup attempt in Alexandria in which he claimed it was involved.· It was also reported that three dismissed military officers had been charged with rebellion and murder in connection with the December coup attempt.· Two coup attempts have been rumoured in recent months.· The move followed unconfirmed reports of a coup attempt in late June by a brigade of the elite Republican Guards.
· The coup leader, Major Moises Giraldi, was buried on Monday beside three other rebel graves.· The military high command, led by coup leader and Armed Forces C.-in-C.· The military said it had launched a big manhunt for army coup leaders who escaped when their men surrendered.· Anatoly Lukyanov, one of the coup leaders, sent his greetings from prison.· Ten soldiers were killed, including the coup leader, Major Moises Giroldi Vega.· The coup leader, Armed Forces C.-in-C.
· A staunch anti-communist, Craxi became party secretary in 1976 after a palace coup.· There are just palace coups, poisonings, and back-room deals.· Had a palace coup, got coach fired, then started winning.
· Rumblings from recent abortive coup plots coupled with an erosion of army discipline have reportedly weakened Guei's grip on the military.· On Aug. 1 the government announced that it had discovered a coup plot.
· One problem for any coup plotters was what to do with the Shah if Mossadeq were removed.· September execution of coup plotters and Cabinet reshuffle p. 36887.
VERB· The aid cutoff followed a brutal coup that brought to power Gen.· Generals Roh and Chun now face charges of corruption and of allegedly masterminding a 1979 coup that brought them to power.· That is carried to such an extreme that we will recognise dictatorships and ignore the coups which bring some despots to power.
· The civilian government was deposed in a military coup in December 1983, and another military coup took place in August 1985.
· In the days immediately following the coup attempt there were a number of demonstrations in support of Djohar.· In the recriminations that followed the botched coup, pro- and anti-Noriega factions attacked the White House.· The aid cutoff followed a brutal coup that brought to power Gen.· After a succession of Presidents, in 1964 the military took control following a bloodless coup.· Gqozo, 38, came to power following a coup in Ciskei two years ago.
· This experience shaped the political ambition that led ultimately to his coup of 23 July 1952.· The military high command, led by coup leader and Armed Forces C.-in-C.
· They saw their democratically elected president overthrown by a military coup.· He was overthrown in a coup in 1991 and forced to flee the country, but that only fed his popularity.· Ten months after his election, the military overthrew him in a coup.
· If this report that the army is planning a coup is serious, then the army must be discouraged from doing that.
· They saw their democratically elected president overthrown by a military coup.
· Aylwin, who had supported Pinochet's 1973 coup, was jeered by crowds outside the cemetery.· The accusations of incompetence after the botched attempt to support the anti-Noriega coup in October had stung the Bush Administration.
Haiti’s first elected president was deposed in a violent military coup. a coup attempt by junior officers He evaded capture after the failed coup.► see thesaurus at revolution2an achievement that is extremely impressive because it was very difficult: Beating Arsenal was a major coup for the club.COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa military/army coup· He seized power in a military coup in 1977.an attempted/abortive/failed coup (=one that did not succeed)· There was an attempted coup against Togo’s military dictator.a successful/unsuccessful coup· The armed forces are too weak to mount a successful coup.a bloody/bloodless coup (=with or without killing and violence)· In 1974, the regime was overthrown in a bloodless coup.a presidential coup (=in which power is taken from a president)· The new leader returned the country to democratic rule following his presidential coup.verbsplan/plot a coup· They were arrested and accused of plotting a coup against the government.stage/mount/launch a coup (=attempt one)· Later that year, the rebels staged an unsuccessful coup.foil/crush a coup (=stop it from being successful)· The government foiled an armed coup by rebel soldiers.be deposed/overthrown in a coup (=lose power in a coup)· The prime minister was deposed in a coup by the armed forces.coup + NOUNa coup attempt· There have been repeated coup attempts against the government.the coup leader· The coup leaders escaped when the rest of the men were arrested.a coup plot· He was imprisoned for his part in a coup plot against the regime.