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
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
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
But merely saying that is a cop-out.
—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Maybe that’s a cop-out — an excuse to not deliver the narrative oomph most features need to feel substantial, or worthwhile.
—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
1 Feb. 2026
Retreating to one’s room in the middle of the day feels like a cop-out at many places, but here the indoor-outdoor flow transforms a late-afternoon nap into a pleasure without the guilt.
—
Alex Postman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Claiming that the shooter was still gathering is a cop-out by the refs.
—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Jan. 2026
In another day and age, the move might appear cheap — a cop-out that suggests cinematic universes and spin-offs and good old-fashioned comeuppance.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
But in the wake of that buildup, the film's shockingly anticlimactic ending also feels like somewhat of a cop-out.
—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
Claiming victimhood was a cop-out; those who made accusations of assault were ridiculed.
—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
The case, which has only recently come to the attention of POST officials, highlights the limits of state oversight even after lawmakers passed significant police reform aimed at forcing dishonest cops out of the profession.
—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
Climb the 900-odd steps (or cop out in a car) for a walk through its eight baroque bastions and some breathtaking views.
—
Helen Brown,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
Rather than throwing those bad cops out of the union and asking for better training so cops will never have to ask what to do when a fellow cop appears to have broken the law, Hendry encourages them.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
Herman views the administration’s statements about the complexity of the refund process—and the need for the CIT’s intervention—as a bit of a cop out.
—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
But the union is not wrong to call this a cop-out, either.
—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
But merely saying that is a cop-out.
—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Maybe that’s a cop-out — an excuse to not deliver the narrative oomph most features need to feel substantial, or worthwhile.
—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
1 Feb. 2026
Retreating to one’s room in the middle of the day feels like a cop-out at many places, but here the indoor-outdoor flow transforms a late-afternoon nap into a pleasure without the guilt.
—
Alex Postman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Claiming that the shooter was still gathering is a cop-out by the refs.
—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Jan. 2026
In another day and age, the move might appear cheap — a cop-out that suggests cinematic universes and spin-offs and good old-fashioned comeuppance.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
But in the wake of that buildup, the film's shockingly anticlimactic ending also feels like somewhat of a cop-out.
—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
Claiming victimhood was a cop-out; those who made accusations of assault were ridiculed.
—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
Strategic shakeup Usually buying and selling is a cop out, but with where the Red Sox are in their competitive cycle the approach might make some sense.
—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
The case, which has only recently come to the attention of POST officials, highlights the limits of state oversight even after lawmakers passed significant police reform aimed at forcing dishonest cops out of the profession.
—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
Climb the 900-odd steps (or cop out in a car) for a walk through its eight baroque bastions and some breathtaking views.
—
Helen Brown,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
Rather than throwing those bad cops out of the union and asking for better training so cops will never have to ask what to do when a fellow cop appears to have broken the law, Hendry encourages them.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
Herman views the administration’s statements about the complexity of the refund process—and the need for the CIT’s intervention—as a bit of a cop out.
—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cop-out
Noun
-
The guests’ request for an escape-room experience, while annoying, is much more understandable.
-
This small city on Florida’s central Gulf Coast offers an escape everyone in the family will enjoy, from toddlers all the way up to the grandparents.
Verb
-
Allow both arms to extend back out and continue this pattern for 12 repetitions, two sets.
-
Crews were back out on Saturday to search for a man who Elgin police said was running away with a large knife and went into the Fox River after an incident Friday morning.
Noun
-
In the early days of the republic, there were many radicals and reformers who shared my suspicion that patriotism was an evasion, substituting songs and speeches about liberty for the reality.
-
The electoral authority based the candidate bans on a law against corrupt practices that in previous years saw some parliamentary seats bought with money linked to drug trafficking, corruption and tax evasion.
Verb
-
After shooting up to an all-time high of over $225, shares of the rocket company have swung wildly back down to Earth, betraying plenty of uncertainty over the company’s dizzying, north-of-$2-trillion market cap.
-
The prisoner is placed in restraints and led back down the wing before being transported to Florida State Prison and placed on death watch.
Noun
-
Her remedy isn't avoidance, but direct conversation—giving people space to talk through what went wrong before launching the next effort.
-
Substance abuse is greatly detrimental in its own right, of course, but sometimes the issues that stem from it—stress, emotional exhaustion, secrecy, avoidance—can have similarly devastating long-term effects on a person’s wellbeing.
Verb
-
Uzbekistan went close to an equaliser before Jaminton Campaz scored in stoppage time, immediately followed by a shot at the other end that thundered back off the crossbar.
-
When the Ku Klux Klan burned crosses on the lawn of other beach neighbors, the only Jewish family in town, my dad tracked down the local Klan leader and told him to back off, or else.
Verb
-
Plans for fireworks were still moving forward in other cities including Chicago and New York, where tall ships passed the Statue of Liberty earlier in the day, recalling the fanfare around America’s 200th anniversary in 1976.
-
Pulisic recalled arriving at Pochettino’s temporary office for a meeting and hearing a country song.
Cite this Entry
“Cop-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cop-out. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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