Dictionary

regime-change en · VERB

Etymology

A denominal from regime change.

Meanings

1. (informal, transitive, uncommon) To overthrow or replace an existing government or ruling authority, often through external intervention or political pressure.
   • In the past USA history, we often failed to regime change a single person, but our failure was not as gross of a mistake as Mr. Bush who sends the entire USA military to change a one person regime. 2004 May 25, Archimedes Plutonium, “USA, the society of Fat, Cut & Run; Iraq”, in talk.politics.theory (Usenet):
   • The French bombarded Damascus, which they had regime-changed in 1920, in 1925, 1926, and 1945, and they pacified the city with martial law during most of the 'peaceful' intervals. 2021, W.A. Rivera, Iranian Strategic Influence, Information and the Culture of Resistance, page 159:
   • Lastly, if we give up our nuclear weapons we have nothing left. America cut a deal with Muammar al-Qaddafi to give up his weapons, and look at Libya now. Iraq’s Saddam Hussein actually stopped developing weapons, and they regime-changed him. With nuclear weapons, I control my destiny. Without them, I am toast. 2017 August 30, Pelle Svanslös, “Why Kim Jong Un Isn’t Afraid of Donald Trump”, in rec.sport.tennis (Usenet):
   • It's true enough that we and the Soviets both did a lot of that during the Cold War, and we "regime changed" Iraq and Afghanistan through military force under Bush, Cheney and their neocons. 2025 August 17, Lobo, “If I wanted to be the so called leader of the free world for awhile”, in Political Euwetopia (Usenet):
   • Well, I’ve been speaking to him [Donald Trump] about Iran for 10 years. Literally since 2016, maybe ’15, because there was enormous pressure on him, as there has been on many presidents, to regime-change Iran. 2026 May 2, Lulu Garcia-Navarro, quoting Tucker Carlson, “Tucker Carlson Discusses Breaking With Trump, the Iran War and Antisemitism”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
   • BTW, are they gonna' regime change Washington like they regime changed Baghdad? Let's hope. Any tickets for the hangings available yet? Ticketron seems to be sold out and isn't taking reservations. 2008 November 5, ah, “Re: If Obama Wins, Impeachment Begins”, in alt.media.republican-bias (Usenet):
   • cool good luck developing their own. Oh and US also signed the Budapest Memorandum. Shame they broke that when they regime changed Ukraine in 2014 2023 December 2, John Robinson, “Ukraine Goes Into Deep Defense, However, This May No Longer Save It - Military Summary For 2023/12/01 [10:11] December 01, 2023”, in (Usenet):

Forms

Relateds

regime change