putsch

American  

[pooch] / pʊtʃ /

noun

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

---

putsch British  

/ pʊtʃ /

noun

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

---

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

Example Sentences

Aung San's wartime comrade Ne Win, who had taken the helm of the armed forces after the leader's assassination in murky circumstances, swooped in in a putsch he justified as protection against Myanmar's disintegration.

From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025

In Niger, the circumstances surrounding the 2023 putsch were equally distinctive.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 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