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
Examples 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
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
But in addition to being just plain dumb, that conclusion also seems like a cop-out.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 3 May 2024
Calling the cops is in effect a cop-out, an abdication of universities’ role as clearinghouses of debate and ideas.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2024
Other physicists, though, consider this philosophy a cop-out.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2021
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
Plus, fashion needs to be breathable in the summer months, and what’s an easy cop out for stuffy styles?
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 22 June 2023
But to critics, that has seemed like a cop out, and rejection of the more forceful position of oil majors such as ExxonMobil and BP that have endorsed a carbon price.
—Josh Siegel, Washington Examiner, 14 Jan. 2021
Terrible cop out of a call.
—Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Jan. 2023
Noun
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
But in addition to being just plain dumb, that conclusion also seems like a cop-out.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 3 May 2024
Calling the cops is in effect a cop-out, an abdication of universities’ role as clearinghouses of debate and ideas.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2024
Other physicists, though, consider this philosophy a cop-out.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2021
Verb
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
Plus, fashion needs to be breathable in the summer months, and what’s an easy cop out for stuffy styles?
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 22 June 2023
But to critics, that has seemed like a cop out, and rejection of the more forceful position of oil majors such as ExxonMobil and BP that have endorsed a carbon price.
—Josh Siegel, Washington Examiner, 14 Jan. 2021
Terrible cop out of a call.
—Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Jan. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cop-out
Noun
-
The Escape From Tarkov Halloween event is in full swing and after a new patch earlier today two new quests have been added, as well as multiple changes being made to the zombie spawn rate.Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
-
James tries screaming and pushing the container open, drawing the attention of others, who stack pillows over the container to prevent his escape.Andrés Buenahora, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Cayden Addison, a seven-year-old Black boy battling a rare form Philadelphia chromosome acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), has had two donors back out on him.Pia Velasco, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2024
-
The man seemingly backed out of the parking to prevent his license plate number from being captured.Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
In 2022, the company agreed to pay roughly $60 million (55.8 million euros) to settle a tax evasion investigation in Italy.Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
-
American Speed follows the three race car-driving Whittington brothers, two of whom were involved in the IMSA scandal in the 1980s that saw numerous drivers charged with funding their racing through money from drug smuggling, tax evasion and laundering.Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The main source of that message has been Trump, who has never backed down from his claims that the 2020 elections were stolen from him.Simon Shuster, TIME, 2 Nov. 2024
-
Petty didn’t back down and MCA changed their plans, enshrining his reputation as an honorable guy who cared more about his fans than his own bottom line.Al Shipley, SPIN, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Such sentiments are hard to capture in polls but Harris’s enduring avoidance, or, perhaps, lack of imagination, may have dampened much of the enthusiasm about her campaign among many liberal voters.Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
-
This statistic, though unsurprising given the historical roots of DEI initiatives in regulatory compliance and risk avoidance, underscores a critical truth: today's workplace has evolved, and employees demand more sincerity in approach.Julie Kratz, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
On Tuesday, the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee backed off, voting to keep the film credit in place while cutting the cap, starting next year.Gene Maddaus, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
-
That could have meant dissolving or merging parts of the district with neighboring districts, but after strong pushback from the community, the state backed off its orders.Yesenia Robles, The Denver Post, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
According to The Korea Times, in July 2024 Beijing demanded that Pyongyang recall North Korean workers in China—numbered in the tens of thousands—so that China could comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2937, which called for the repatriation of North Korean laborers.Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
-
Viewed from the rear three-quarter angle, the Vanquish recalls an arrow, drawn from its quiver and aimed at the target.Dan Carney, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
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 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share