cop-out 1 of 2

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cop out

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cop-out
Noun
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 Alcohol was frequently mentioned as a contributing factor to this mindset, suggesting that—in some cases—intoxication provided an easy cop-out for the affair. Mark Travers, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024 It’s often dismissed as a trivial punishment for children, or as an easy cop-out for difficult conversations. Mark Travers, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024 Refusing to continue isn’t a cop-out so much as an affirmation of everything else precious that fills one’s days. Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 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
  • Looking for escape through others, drinking, working nonstop.
    Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Cooperate with another player or work with an AI companion to solve puzzles and make your escape.
    Gabriel Zamora, PCMAG, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Walsh responded by making a trade with the Rams for elusive running back Wendell Tayler and drafting Roger Craig, a multipurpose back out of Nebraska.
    Mark Purdy, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025
  • The Cubs would also hope to tease a little more velocity back out of Pressly, who has historically had strong ground-ball numbers, which would play well on a team with multiple Gold Glove defenders.
    Patrick Mooney, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • This comes after Biden issued a controversial pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, in early December over tax evasion and federal gun charges.
    Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2025
  • There will be more evasion of traditional detection and prevention tooling.
    James Blake, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Brown raised his hand, and then quickly brought it back down.
    Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Lisa proceeded to shout, but Bronwyn was not backing down.
    Liza Esquibias, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The Roomba j9+ keeps iRobot's reputation for quality going with some of the best obstacle detection and avoidance on the market, including the ability to dodge pet waste and even adapt its cleaning schedules to prioritize the parts of your floor that get the dirtiest.
    K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
  • In the context of a fantasy bond—where emotional distance and defensiveness are already at play—this avoidance of real conflict prevents healthy communication and resolution of issues that could otherwise strengthen the relationship.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • In an interview with Fox News, the president again seemed to back off his earlier warnings that huge tariffs against China were coming.
    Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
  • The defender, who joined for £40m from Wolverhampton Wanderers, backed off Mateta before the opener.
    Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • One of Jordan’s sisters, Hajime White, recalled listening helplessly to one of her father’s final phone calls from Arkansas in an interview with PEOPLE.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 17 Jan. 2025
  • On Fan Duel’s flagship NBA show, Run it Back, Jordan recalled moments during the season when Jokić would request a song from their unofficial Denver Nugget’s locker room DJ, small forward Payton Watson.
    Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 17 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near cop-out

Cite this Entry

“Cop-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cop-out. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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