coup

Universal Words 1 (also coup d'etat) a sudden, illegal and often violent, change of government: He seized power in a military coup in 1981. * to stage / mount a coup * an attempted coup * a failed / an abortive coup * She lost her position in a boardroom coup (= a sudden change of power among senior managers in a company). 2 the fact of achieving sth that was difficult to do: Getting this contract has been quite a coup for us. * He pulled off a major diplomatic coup by winning agreement from all the warring factions on a permanent ceasefire.