Meaning

A quick, brilliant, and highly successful act..

Definitions by Sense

1. A quick, brilliant, and highly successful act.
2. (US, historical) Of Native Americans, a blow against an enemy delivered in a way that demonstrates bravery.
3. A coup d'état.
4. (by extension) A takeover of one group by another.
5. A single roll of the wheel at roulette, or a deal in rouge et noir.
6. (bridge) One of various named strategies employed by the declarer to win more tricks, such as the Bath coup.
7. (intransitive) To execute a coup.
8. (transitive, informal) To subject (a nation) to a coup d'état.

Example Sentences

The conference was a major coup for Robarts, who received congratulations for his 'expert handling' of the 'risky venture.'

While the price was considered a coup for Morgan, enhancing his reputation on Wall Street, Carnegie had a different explanation for his selling price.

"[…]It was quite a coup for Pullen Park to get it. It had been in storage for awhile,^([sic]) and several parks in other places wanted to purchase it."

Yet the capture of Di María, who was the man of the match when Real won a 10th Champions League in May, represents something a coup for United considering the club are not in Europe’s premier club competition and need to strengthen their squad after the team have let five points slip from the first two matches.

The diplomatic messaging of RCEP may be just as important as the economics—a coup for China.

Just imagine if my predecessor came to this dinner this year. Now that would really have been a real coup if that occurred. [audience gasps] Little tough, huh?

Among the Blackfeet the capture of a shield, bow, gun, war bonnet, war shirt, or medicine pipe was deemed a coup.

Thus, for a horseman to ride over and knock down an enemy, who was on foot, was regarded among the Blackfeet as a coup, for the horseman might be shot at close quarters, or might receive a lance thrust.

Word Forms

• coups
• couping
• couped

Synonyms for coup

Related Words

When Should You Use Coup?

Use coup when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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