putsch
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of putsch
1915–20; < German Putsch, originally Swiss German: literally, violent blow, clash, shock; introduced in sense “coup” in standard German through Swiss popular uprisings of the 1830s, especially the Zurich revolt of Sept. 1839
Explanation
When a group rises up and overthrows a government, it is sometimes called a putsch, or — more commonly — a coup. This word shares a pronunciation with an informal term for dog, pooch, but there the similarity ends. A putsch is a quick and dirty overthrow of a government; it tends to be used most often for places that experience a lot of these. Putsch comes from the Swiss German word of the same spelling, which means "revolt," or "a sudden blow or push." Another word for a putsch is a coup d'état.
Vocabulary lists containing putsch
Persepolis
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The Faithful Spy
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Sapiens
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The failed putsch came six years after the death of General Francisco Franco and was orchestrated by military officers nostalgic for the privileges they enjoyed during more than four decades of his dictatorship.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
West Africa has been shaken by coups and the breakaway of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from Ecowas, as well as this month's attempted putsch in Benin.
From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025
Though they largely put down the putsch, many then turned their wrath on Alawites, a largely impoverished minority that constitutes some 10% of the country’s population and which dominated Assad-era security services and state bureaucracy.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2025
The same morning, as news of the putsch spread across Niamey, former president Issoufou contacted Tiani, offering to serve as a mediator, two people familiar with the matter said.
From Reuters • Aug. 6, 2023
And I also fail to understand the timing of The Brain's putsch.
From The Brain by Blade, Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
