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
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Recent Examples of cop-out
Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 6 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
Those who don’t will probably view it as a cop-out — which is understandable!
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Mine is probably a cop-out too.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 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
On Thursday, there were 652 officers on the force, with nearly 100 cops out on some kind of administrative or medical leave.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025
But with that brief wave of hope came new footage on Twitter every night of the NYPD acting like bad cops out of a Harvey Keitel flick: cops harassing peaceful crowds, cops kettling activists, cops literally driving a car into a crowd of protestors.
—Maris Kreizman, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
The relative lack of substance across the board can’t help feeling like a cop out for a show that’s been capable of a lot more.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 14 June 2025
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
Noun
But merely saying that is a cop-out.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 6 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
Those who don’t will probably view it as a cop-out — which is understandable!
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Mine is probably a cop-out too.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
To say these machines are too expense is a cop out.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 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
On Thursday, there were 652 officers on the force, with nearly 100 cops out on some kind of administrative or medical leave.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025
But with that brief wave of hope came new footage on Twitter every night of the NYPD acting like bad cops out of a Harvey Keitel flick: cops harassing peaceful crowds, cops kettling activists, cops literally driving a car into a crowd of protestors.
—Maris Kreizman, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
The relative lack of substance across the board can’t help feeling like a cop out for a show that’s been capable of a lot more.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 14 June 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cop-out
Noun
-
For years, Asheville, North Carolina, marketed itself as a mountain escape known for breweries, boutique hotels and Blue Ridge views.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This time, though, the prison is on a space station, making his attempt at escape even trickier than before.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Italy is underwhelmed at the prospect of being named to the World Cup if Iran backs out.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The energy put into a quantum system by measurement could be instantly pulled back out by the Hamiltonian and stored in a battery to power other processes, García-Pintos says.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The indictment charges Meade with one count of tax evasion and six counts of failure to file a tax return.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Over the last hundred-plus years, the properties have had a lot of lives, names, and myriad owners, including a pair of brothers who went to prison for tax evasion.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The recent decline comes as ceasefire talks in the Iran war have calmed the bond market and pulled the 10-year Treasury yield, the main driver of mortgage rates, back down.—
Tim Maxwell,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
One of them, a disturbed Army veteran carrying a knife, jumped the fence in 2014 and raced into the White House, making his way into the East Room before heading back down a hallway on the State Floor deep within the mansion.—
Meg Kinnard,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rather than give in to triskaidekaphobia (the fear or avoidance of 13), the crew is embracing it, or at least their connection to the last US launch to be similarly numbered.—
Robert Pearlman,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
What that survey obscures, however, is the cost of avoidance.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To back off from that charge, district officials proposed raising average class sizes in kindergarten through fourth grade from 24-to-1 to 28-to-1, according to the district.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The next back off the board came near the end of the third round when the San Francisco 49ers took Indiana’s Kaelon Black 90th, marking the fewest running backs taken in the first three rounds of the common draft.—
Josh Dubow,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the story, when the news of the bombing breaks, all the staff recall their memories of visiting Boston.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Bode recalled in a video shared on TikTok.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cop-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cop-out. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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