> When writing of a couple getting married, it is more common to use the plural form ("the couple are to be wed"). When writing of an established couple, it is more common to use a singular verb ("the couple has six puppies, each more destructive than the next").
So according to MW we're a bit more right than NYT.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/is-couple-singular-o...
> When writing of a couple getting married, it is more common to use the plural form ("the couple are to be wed"). When writing of an established couple, it is more common to use a singular verb ("the couple has six puppies, each more destructive than the next").
So according to MW we're a bit more right than NYT.