coup de theatre

coup de thé·â·tre

(ko͞o′ də tā-ä′trə)

n. pl. coups de théâtre (ko͞o′)

1. A sudden dramatic turn of events in a play.

2. An unexpected and sensational event, especially one that reverses or negates a prevailing situation.

[French : coup, stroke + de, of + théâtre, theater.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

coup de théâtre

(ku də teɑtrə)

n, pl coups de théâtre (ku də teɑtrə)

1. (Theatre) a dramatic turn of events, esp in a play

2. (Theatre) a sensational device of stagecraft

3. (Theatre) a stage success

[literally: stroke of the theatre]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

coup de thé•â•tre

(kud^ə teɪˈɑ tr^ə)

n., pl. coups de thé•â•tre (kud^ə teɪˈɑ tr^ə)
French.

1. a surprising or sensational turn of events in a play.

2. any theatrical trick intended to have a sensational effect.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	coup de theatre - a dramatic surprise surprise - a sudden unexpected event
	2.	coup de theatre - a sensational bit of stagecraft stagecraft - skill in writing or staging plays production - a presentation for the stage or screen or radio or television; "have you seen the new production of Hamlet?"
	3.	coup de theatre - a highly successful theatrical production staging, theatrical production - the production of a drama on the stage

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References in periodicals archive ?

What a timely coup de theatre for the climax of his final election hustings was provided by the presentation of a kipper "just now" by the editor of a national newspaper who had received it from an IoM kipper-smoker alongside complaints about the EU!

Johnson jibes a red herring

Loin d'etre un simple coup de theatre, Ericsson a organise une demonstration en live au siege de l'operateur historique a Rabat, afin de presenter les capacites de la technologie mobile de prochaine generation.

Maroc Telecom fait une demonstration de force

It's certainly an interesting coup de theatre. I'm looking forward to seeing how Hugh does it.

OFFSTAGE

The drama moves back and forth between the eve of Ur's destruction in 2000 BC, and the year 1903, which marks the arrival of European archaeologists to Mesopotamia, then forward again to our recent present, the year 2015, marking the brief, yet destructive passage of ISIS, to finally jump to the year 2035 with a coup de theatre in the finale.

Kuwaiti playwright Sulayman Al-Bassam opens 'UR' in Munich Friday

Maranhao avait provoque un retentissant coup de theatre en declarant que le vote de l'assemblee pleniere des deputes constituait un [beaucoup moins que] pre-jugement [beaucoup plus grand que] de la presidente et [beaucoup moins que] portait atteinte a une pleine defense de la presidente [beaucoup plus grand que].

Le Senat poursuit la procedure de destitution de Dilma Rousseff

And the show ends with a coup de theatre that is pure surreal pleasure.

Nice Fish

In fact, Cheetham comes up with a rather clever coup de theatre of his own at the very, very end of the production.

Thespians go forth with success; Dialogue-driven humour in amusing version of Blackadder

More than just a sensational coup de theatre, this building in a building provided an authentic setting for the action on stage while paying homage to the landmark monument the audience sat in.

Theatre des Champs-Elysees

More vivid in my memory are those coup de theatre acting moments that left me both puzzled and delighted.

The subtext: technorrhoea

It's an amazing coup de theatre and my most ambitious project.

LOOK, THERE ARE NO STRINGS ATTACHED!

Apres le coup de theatre de dimanche, qui avait vu le match etre reporte a lundi pour un possible sabotage des projecteurs d'une tribune, la lumiere cote Real sera surtout venue d'un Benzema qui a facilite l'entame de match des Madrilenes en marquant des la 13e minute.

Le Real bat le Rayo sans brio, Benzema buteur

The coup de theatre was delivered with real flair, and matched the wow factor of the jet-propelled "rocket man roaring into the stadium at the start of the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.