Synonyms of cop-out

cop-out 1 of 2

noun

ˈkäp-ˌau̇t 

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

• escape
• evasion
• avoidance
• elusion
• eschewal
• shunning
• dodging
• out
• ducking
• eschewing
• runaround
• circumvention
• eluding
• shaking
• bypassing
• sidestepping
• deflection
• skirting
• prevention
• obviation
• averting
• precluding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• submission
• toleration
• endurance
• abidance

cop out

2 of 2

verb

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

• back out
• back down
• back off
• recall
• withdraw
• go back on
• chicken (out)
• fink out
• renege
• take back
• retract
• wimp out
• beg off
• cry off
• recant
• backtrack
• backpedal
• disavow
• forswear
• abjure
• unsay
• repudiate
• abnegate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adhere (to)
• comply (with)
• follow through (with)
• keep
• satisfy
• honor
• fulfill

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cop-out

Noun

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

Verb

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