1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

cop 1 of 2

noun

ˈkäp How to pronounce cop (audio)
Definition of copnext
as in policeman
a member of a force charged with law enforcement at the local level a cop stopped her for speeding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cop

2 of 2

verb

slang
1
as in to buy
to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for I copped a great outfit for only $50

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly some concertgoers rushed pell-mell through the doors so that they could cop the seats down front

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Noun
Witnesses at the time told cops the teen was pedaling on the east side of First Ave. — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026 Agent Foster, posing as a city cop, has brought a tranquilizer gun to knock out Reacher and stage his suicide. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
Aston Martin copped a double $28,850 fine, some of which was suspended, for its drivers missing a fan zone appearance at the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP. — Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2026 Mercurial actor Shia LaBeouf was filmed in an Italian hotel lobby trying to cop a light wearing only his underpants. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cop
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cop
  1. policeman
  2. buy
  3. grab
  4. officer
  5. purchase
  6. catch
  7. constable
  8. snatch
Noun
  • There was a group of them, policemen, and then there was a priest with them.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026
  • With a policeman in charge of the program, there’s no more off-the-field games being played — only hard work trying to get back to the top.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of policeman
Verb
  • Though described as a sale, the transaction is financed through a mechanism known as foreign military financing, in which the United States provides the money that Israel uses to buy the weapons.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The bottles are now rationed as well, as each customer can only buy two boxes per week per membership.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of buy
Verb
  • An urge strong enough to pull me away from the kitchen, grab my computer, and steal a table outside to scribble out my thoughts.
    — Samantha Rees, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The video then shows the deputy grabbing the wallet and opening it, showing Bolduc and the bodycam the contents.
    — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of grab
Noun
  • During Thursday's hearing, Judge Paul Scoggin granted Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro bond.
    — TIM SULLIVAN, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Less than two weeks after departing the Kansas City Current, former head coach and sporting director Vlatko Andonovski is set to take over the last-place Chicago Stars as the fellow National Women’s Soccer League club’s chief soccer officer.
    — PJ Green September 17, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of officer
Verb
  • McAuley coach Jen DeJarld confirmed the school purchased the outdoor court and hopes this can be an annual event.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • In 1508, the family purchased the Althorp estate in West Northamptonshire, England, around two and a half hours’ drive north of London, where their ancestral seat remains to this day.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of purchase
Verb
  • The animal was far from sprinting, instead taking a relaxed stroll at a speed surprisingly comparable to a human walking briskly to catch a bus.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Douglas, who had five catches for 94 yards in the opener, was targeted just three times, catching two for 19 yards and dropping the third.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of catch
Noun
  • Jenna Ziviani, a constable at the police station, helped deliver Lyla while receiving guidance from an ambulance officer on the phone.
    — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Thompson alerted a town administrator and special constable named Sherise Fountain, who went to investigate.
    — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of constable
Verb
  • Not just college kids, but Others cheering for Texas’ football team and snatching up Texas’ degrees.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Sanders allegedly snatched a cigarette from one employee’s mouth and berated him for smoking.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of snatch

Phrases Containing cop

Browse Nearby Words

co-ownerships
cop
copacetic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cop. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compendious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All