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

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

The overwhelming favourite in the race on Saturday is the man who led that peaceful putsch and has dominated the political scene ever since, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.

From BBC • Apr. 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 talks are not being held with putsch leaders, but with regular army officials with whom France has long cooperated, the newspaper said.

From Reuters • Sep. 5, 2023

And I also fail to understand the timing of The Brain's putsch.

From The Brain by Blade, Alexander