putsch

American  

[pooch] / pʊtʃ /

noun

1. a plotted revolt or attempt to overthrow a government, especially one that depends upon suddenness and speed.

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putsch British  

/ pʊtʃ /

noun

1. a violent and sudden uprising; political revolt, esp a coup d'état

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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.

Example Sentences

This week, the government's declassification of around 150 documents related to the 1981 putsch attempt underscored Juan Carlos's actions during it, prompting Núñez Feijóo's call for his return.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

The military appointed General Horta N'Tam, the army's chief of staff, as the country's new leader for a transition period of one year after Wednesday's putsch.

From Barron's • Nov. 28, 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

Gen. Sylvain Ekenge, initially offered little detail about the purported putsch in the capital, Kinshasa, other than to say that the plotters and their leader had been “put out of action.”

From New York Times • May 19, 2024

Gurgurk's started a putsch against King Jaikark; I'm going to Konkrook at once.

From Uller Uprising by Clark, John D.