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
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Recent Examples of cop-out
Judy Berman, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
This may seem like a cop-out and a way of avoiding getting caught up in the current attack on the trans community, but Coon doesn’t believe the choice has anything to do with White’s willingness to engage in important dialogues.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 30 Mar. 2025
Onya thinks the other girls, except Suzie, gave cop-out answers, and those girls are defensive.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
To think there’s no such thing as a perfect leader or workplace to strive for is unnerving—and feels like a cop-out.
—Kent Ingle, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
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
To some sequins and tones like black and gold could be viewed as easy cop-outs.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 9 Jan. 2025
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
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
Sometimes that feels like a bit of a cop out.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2024
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
Noun
As a result, a conclusion that seems like it’s supposed to be shocking lands as a glib, abrupt cop-out.
—Judy Berman, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
This may seem like a cop-out and a way of avoiding getting caught up in the current attack on the trans community, but Coon doesn’t believe the choice has anything to do with White’s willingness to engage in important dialogues.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 30 Mar. 2025
Onya thinks the other girls, except Suzie, gave cop-out answers, and those girls are defensive.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
To think there’s no such thing as a perfect leader or workplace to strive for is unnerving—and feels like a cop-out.
—Kent Ingle, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
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
To some sequins and tones like black and gold could be viewed as easy cop-outs.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 9 Jan. 2025
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
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
Sometimes that feels like a bit of a cop out.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2024
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cop-out
Noun
-
Maybe after a decade and a half of ruling the charts, the only thing that offers Aubrey Graham an escape from anhedonia is the fleeting euphoria of a lottery hit.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2025
-
At least two made it to the Missouri River – the first captured in Boonville, Missouri, and the largest, a 3-footer, pulled from the river near Jefferson City by a fisherman, nearly three months after its escape.—
Jeremy Drouin,
Kansas City Star,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Dave didn’t want to go back out.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
23 Mar. 2025
-
Some 40 percent of those who were able to find a shelter bed ended up back out on the street or living in their cars, according to a recent study by UC San Diego.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The federal agency on the frontlines of President Donald Trump’s tariffs war faces the enormous task of policing imports for tax evasion and applying the new tariff rates without holding up international trade.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Former Madrid player Xabi Alonso is one of the few soccer figures to be acquitted of tax evasion charges.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Neither side seems ready to back down, and Trump's TikTok deal—which must be approved by the Chinese government—risks further delays the longer negotiations and retaliations drag on.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Despite past condemnation and public concern, CHI has not backed down from its current legal position.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The vehicle must also earn a good or acceptable rating in the collision avoidance areas, like pedestrian front-crash prevention technology test for daytime and nighttime driving as well as its headlights on all trim levels.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2025
-
As far as speed, elephants moving at a slow speed show an even stronger avoidance of the difficult, more energetically-costly terrain.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The new restrictions follow an NPR report that Trump had backed off from pursuing the H20 controls, in exchange for Nvidia investing in data centers.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Even if investors are slightly more confident this week, after Trump backed off most of his harshest tariff rates, the changes in people’s life-style habits serve as their own kind of affective barometer.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Andor star Diego Luna recently recalled that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) director Gareth Edwards originally pitched him on the film by comparing his vision to Cuarón’s Y tu mamá también (2001), which starred a young Luna.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Telgemeier recalls her own experience of sharing her vulnerable autobiographical comics with people for the first time.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cop-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cop-out. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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