1
: the act of bringing or coming together : pairing
specifically
: sexual union
2
: a device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent parts or objects
3
: the joining of or the part of the body that joins the hindquarters to the forequarters of a quadruped
4
: a means of electric connection of two electric circuits by having a part common to both
Examples of coupling in a Sentence
the couplings between railroad cars
a coupling of literature and science
Recent Examples on the Web
Crossbill was a 408-qubit processor that demonstrated the first application of short-range coupling.
—
Paul Smith-Goodson, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Instead of the traditional coupling, the women kissed two men before choosing their partners, setting off a chain reaction of shifting loyalties and flaring tensions.
—Tahar Rajab, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Outside, the machines break down an old building to build
a newer building; sunlight climbs between
coupling & uncoupling bodies.
—Terrance Hayes, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
As the foursome try to work out their situation, some of the bigger laughs come from instances of full-frontal male nudity and lots of unexpected confrontations between couplings — including an epic and violently comedic showdown between Covino and Marvin.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for coupling
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Paul Smith-Goodson, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Instead of the traditional coupling, the women kissed two men before choosing their partners, setting off a chain reaction of shifting loyalties and flaring tensions.
—Tahar Rajab, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Outside, the machines break down an old building to build
a newer building; sunlight climbs between
coupling & uncoupling bodies.
—Terrance Hayes, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
As the foursome try to work out their situation, some of the bigger laughs come from instances of full-frontal male nudity and lots of unexpected confrontations between couplings — including an epic and violently comedic showdown between Covino and Marvin.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for coupling
Cite this Entry
“Coupling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coupling. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coupling
noun
cou·pling
ˈkəp-liŋ ( 
usual for sense 2 ),
-ə-liŋ
1
: the act of bringing or coming together
2
: something that connects two parts or things
Medical Definition
coupling
noun
cou·pling
ˈkəp-liŋ, -ə-liŋ
1
: the joint together with its supporting structures between the last lumbar vertebra and the sacrum that joins the hindquarters of a quadruped to the trunk
broadly
: the part of the body or the conformation and proportionate length of the part of the body that joins the hindquarters to the forequarters
2
: the tendency of linked traits to be inherited together in offspring of a double heterozygote when both dominant genes occur on one chromosome and both recessive genes occur on the homologous chromosome compare repulsion
3
: bigeminy
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