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
Their coupling and recoupling when the Casa Amor islanders returned to the original villa proved to be one of the most controversial storylines on Love Island USA Season 7 after Taylor chose to stay coupled up with Clarke instead of returning to his previous relationship with Olandria.
—
Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 8 July 2025
Viewers can vote for their favorite islanders via the Love Island app, influencing couplings and eliminations.
—Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
The A-list coupling has long fueled tabloid fodder from those interested in the intersection of wealth and fame.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 1 July 2025
For decades, candidates ran separately, at times creating some odd couplings.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for coupling
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 8 July 2025
Viewers can vote for their favorite islanders via the Love Island app, influencing couplings and eliminations.
—Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
The A-list coupling has long fueled tabloid fodder from those interested in the intersection of wealth and fame.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 1 July 2025
For decades, candidates ran separately, at times creating some odd couplings.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 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 20 Jul. 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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