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
Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2025
Again, this isn’t a cop-out, but the familiarity doesn’t give either side an edge.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 27 July 2025
Bloy’s answer to Variety’s question is both understandable and a total cop-out.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 15 July 2025
And yet there’s hardly an ounce of violence on screen, which feels like both a cop-out and, in some ways, an accomplishment.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025
This is a bit of a cop-out, but there’s not much drama in the room unless injury hits.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 7 July 2025
Ultimately, the labor export program shouldn’t be seen as a cop-out by the government but rather as a single element of a much larger jobs plan that ought to prioritize opportunities in the country.
—Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 20 June 2025
Such a cop-out is the underlying, depressing reality with all of these remakes: No change can be too daring, no update too significant.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
Many would have to raise their taxes as most do not allow for deficit spending (for the federal government, the optimal cop-out).
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2025
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
Sometimes that feels like a bit of a cop out.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2024
Noun
Others may see it as a cop-out to make up for a short discography.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2025
Again, this isn’t a cop-out, but the familiarity doesn’t give either side an edge.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 27 July 2025
Bloy’s answer to Variety’s question is both understandable and a total cop-out.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 15 July 2025
And yet there’s hardly an ounce of violence on screen, which feels like both a cop-out and, in some ways, an accomplishment.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025
This is a bit of a cop-out, but there’s not much drama in the room unless injury hits.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 7 July 2025
Ultimately, the labor export program shouldn’t be seen as a cop-out by the government but rather as a single element of a much larger jobs plan that ought to prioritize opportunities in the country.
—Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 20 June 2025
Such a cop-out is the underlying, depressing reality with all of these remakes: No change can be too daring, no update too significant.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
Many would have to raise their taxes as most do not allow for deficit spending (for the federal government, the optimal cop-out).
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2025
Verb
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
Sometimes that feels like a bit of a cop out.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cop-out
Noun
-
The plane's inflatable escape slide was deployed, and the nose and tail sections of the plane separated.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Culture Minister Rachida Dati later told TF1 that the gang broke into the Galerie d’Apollon — a sumptuous room on the first floor of the Petite Galerie that has housed the French crown jewels since 1887 — and that a piece of jewelry was recovered during the escape.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Plus, the captain tells Lo that the passenger assigned to cabin 10 backed out days before departure.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025
-
But the ocean spits her back out.—
Matthew Jacobs,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The agency has also reported a loss of $4 million through bus fare evasion.—
Vanessa Swales,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The entrepreneur’s rags-to-riches story took a dark turn in 2004 when he was charged with tax evasion and embezzling company funds.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And more than anything, more than the animosity between the programs, more than the College Football Playoff impact, more than Notre Dame puffing its chest out as USC backed down, that familiarity was the real higher power at work.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
-
The administration only backed down after both Democrats and Republicans criticized the move.—
Andy Kroll,
ProPublica,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This is capable of handling all aspects of flight, from take off to power down, and can carry out obstacle and threat avoidance.—
David Szondy
October 19,
New Atlas,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Autonomous systems handle the full flight profile, from takeoff to landing, using sensors for obstacle detection and avoidance.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But seeing Scherzer grow animated as Schneider approached, shortstop Andrés Giménez backed off.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Despite increasingly menacing warnings to back off and stop prying into the lives of rich power players thorny about their privacy, Lo remains determined to get to the truth.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
How did one moped — perhaps a light-bodied Eighties-era Mobylette, which Le Grand recalls seeing in the young men’s apartment — carry two adult men and a 300-pound marble bust through the streets of Paris?—
David Kushner,
Rolling Stone,
20 Oct. 2025
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See full list of shrimp items recalled What should consumers do?—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cop-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cop-out. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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