as in escape
the act or a means of getting or keeping away from something undesirable
I think that saying you're sick is just a cop-out to get out of going to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to back out
to break a promise or agreement
don't cop out on your promise to pay for the damage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of cop-out
Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Their talk is confidential, even from us, which is a bit of a cop-out.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
Making her a helpful ex-Widow is the ultimate cop-out, replacing complex real-world connections with generic globo-spy fantasy.
—Darren Franich, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
To some sequins and tones like black and gold could be viewed as easy cop-outs.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 9 Jan. 2025
The first would be seen as a cop-out by hawkish elements in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which saw one of its facilities hit and its missile production capacity depleted.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2024
And that is not a cop-out answer, but the correct answer.
—Dane Brugler, The Athletic, 21 Aug. 2024
So many movies depict tech bringing out the worst in people, leaving us with the sort of cop-out villainy of computers are bad!
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2024
But to shift that responsibility back onto your consumers (by enticing them with a gift card) feels like a cop-out.
—Lindy Segal, Curbed, 18 Sep. 2024
Melody Chiu, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
The judges avoid giving critiques to the girls this week but do talk among one another, which is kind of weird but also means that nobody gets to cop out of Rate-a-Queen and just imitate the judges.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 Jan. 2025
Yair Lapid, Israel’s opposition leader, also condemned Israel’s move dubbing it a cop out.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 16 Dec. 2024
Who's the cat that won't cop out when there's danger all about?
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 22 July 2024
He was walked by cops out of the 105th Precinct in handcuffs Thursday morning and later arraigned in Queens Criminal Supreme Court on murder charges.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 30 May 2024
As for Butler, his answer was Timothée Chalamet, which is a cop out.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2024
The performances by Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as, respectively, a thief and the cop out to catch him bring such intensity and power to the film.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2024
Needless to say, my hot glue gun gets a lot of action, and after my last one copped out, my shopping research brought me to a life-changing discovery: cordless glue guns actually exist.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2023
Noun
Please don’t say Darwin Nunez — David C. Waugh: This may seem like a cop-out answer, but Newcastle are confident that, as things stand, Alexander Isak is going nowhere.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Their talk is confidential, even from us, which is a bit of a cop-out.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
Making her a helpful ex-Widow is the ultimate cop-out, replacing complex real-world connections with generic globo-spy fantasy.
—Darren Franich, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
To some sequins and tones like black and gold could be viewed as easy cop-outs.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 9 Jan. 2025
The first would be seen as a cop-out by hawkish elements in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which saw one of its facilities hit and its missile production capacity depleted.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2024
And that is not a cop-out answer, but the correct answer.
—Dane Brugler, The Athletic, 21 Aug. 2024
So many movies depict tech bringing out the worst in people, leaving us with the sort of cop-out villainy of computers are bad!
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2024
But to shift that responsibility back onto your consumers (by enticing them with a gift card) feels like a cop-out.
—Lindy Segal, Curbed, 18 Sep. 2024
Verb
About 20 minutes later, the two cops out in front were joined by a third officer.
—Melody Chiu, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
The judges avoid giving critiques to the girls this week but do talk among one another, which is kind of weird but also means that nobody gets to cop out of Rate-a-Queen and just imitate the judges.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 Jan. 2025
Yair Lapid, Israel’s opposition leader, also condemned Israel’s move dubbing it a cop out.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 16 Dec. 2024
Who's the cat that won't cop out when there's danger all about?
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 22 July 2024
He was walked by cops out of the 105th Precinct in handcuffs Thursday morning and later arraigned in Queens Criminal Supreme Court on murder charges.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 30 May 2024
As for Butler, his answer was Timothée Chalamet, which is a cop out.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2024
The performances by Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as, respectively, a thief and the cop out to catch him bring such intensity and power to the film.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2024
Needless to say, my hot glue gun gets a lot of action, and after my last one copped out, my shopping research brought me to a life-changing discovery: cordless glue guns actually exist.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cop-out
Noun
-
The Reality: Most Will Not Be Able to Enter Canada Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants has left many searching for an escape, but Canada will not be a viable refuge for the vast majority.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
-
The escape comes one week after gun suspect Eric Cruz managed to slip away from a cop watching him at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia in Manhattan and run off while still wearing a hospital gown.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Extend arms and legs back out to the starting position.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Feel the mossy, sometimes humid air, and the sea breeze swept from the Beaufort bay. Shop and stroll After a slow breakfast at the inn, head back out for some sightseeing on foot.—
Kayleigh Ruller,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Before leaving office, Joe Biden issued a controversial pardon for his son over tax evasion and federal gun charges.—
Molly Nagle,
ABC News,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Sorrentino pled guilty to one count of tax evasion in January 2018, and his brother Marc pled guilty to one count of aiding in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return.—
Diane J. Cho,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Swalwell draws parallels between his father’s principled stand against corruption as a police chief and his own refusal to back down, framing resistance as a moral imperative learned from his upbringing[1][3].—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The European Commission is not backing down from efforts to rein in Big Tech.—
Ryan Whitwam,
Ars Technica,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The real marvel, in this instance, being the avoidance of vulgarity.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Colin Kramer, a legislative representative and union steward for at the American Federation of Government Employees Local 704, said his local is doing something different this year by explicitly not calling for an avoidance of a government shutdown.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Creighton rebounded a UConn miss with about 7 seconds left and a 7-point lead, and the Huskies backed off, allowing the Bluejays to dribble out the clock.—
Ralph D. Russo,
The Athletic,
15 Mar. 2025
-
There has never been reason to think, and there certainly is no reason to think now, that appeasing Putin is going to lead to him backing off from these grander schemes.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The librarian recalled that following World War II, borrowers became more interested in topics such as home improvements, landscaping, gardening and interior decorating.—
Eric Duvall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Reginald Liger recalled the Little Haiti of his youth: the community events all around the bustling neighborhood, the many times his dad would take him to the Notre Dame D’Haiti Church, hanging out at his uncle’s tire shop.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cop-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cop-out. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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