Reports of a military coup in Turkey caused a spike in lookups for ’#coup'
▻http://www.merriam-webster.com/news-trend-watch/turkey-coup-20160715
Coup is short for coup d’état, which is the French expression that literally means “stroke of state,” with “stroke” meaning “knock” or “blow.” It means “the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group.” Because coup suggests something being struck or hit, it is used in other expressions that refer to sudden events, such as coup de théâtre, which means “a sudden dramatic effect or turn of events.” Coup when used by itself can also mean “an impressive victory or achievement that usually is difficult or unexpected,” as in “winning that big contract was a real coup.”