cop out

cop out
phrasal verb [intransitive]
Word forms "cop out":
present tense I/you/we/they cop out he/she/it cops out present participle copping out past tense copped out past participle copped out informal
to avoid doing something that you should do because it is difficult

He has copped out of his responsibilities.


English dictionary. 2014.

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  • Cop out — is an idiom which means to avoid taking responsibility for an action, fulfilling a duty or meeting expectations; as a noun, it refers to someone who cops out . Cop out or cop out may also refer to: Linda Lavin Raffaele Cecco Cop Out, a 1969 book… …   Wikipedia

  • cop-out — cop outs N COUNT: usu sing (disapproval) If you refer to something as a cop out, you think that it is a way for someone to avoid doing something that they should do. [INFORMAL] Wallowing in guilt about the past is a cop out that prevents you from …   English dictionary

  • cop out — by 1942, n. and v., sneak off, escape, Amer.Eng. slang, probably from cop a plea (c.1925) plead guilty to lesser charges, probably from northern British slang cop to catch (a scolding, etc.); Cf. cop a feel grope someone (1930s); see COP (Cf.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • cop-out — n informal something you do or say in order to avoid doing or accepting something ▪ There is plenty to do on your own doorstep; to look further is a cop out …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • cop-out — cop ,out noun count INFORMAL something you say or do to avoid doing what you should do: Telling him you re ill sounds like a cop out to me …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • cop-out — cop′ out n. 1) cvb an act or instance of copping out 2) cvb inf a person who cops out • Etymology: 1940–45 …   From formal English to slang

  • cop-out — ☆ cop out [käp′out΄ ] n. Slang the act or an instance of copping out, as by confessing, reneging, quitting, etc …   English World dictionary

  • cop out — [v] abandon, quit back down, back off, back out, backpedal, desert, dodge, excuse, give the slip*, have alibi, rationalize, renege, renounce, revoke, skip, use pretext, welsh, withdraw; concepts 121,156 Ant. be ready, face, ready, take on …   New thesaurus

  • cop-out — n excuse, dodge, evasion, fraud, pretence, pretext, alibi COLLOQ. get out, shirking, passing the buck * * * ˈ ̷ ̷ ˌ ̷ ̷ noun ( s) Etymology: cop out, verb (herein) 1. : an excuse for copping out …   Useful english dictionary

  • cop out — verb choose not to do something, as out of fear of failing She copped out when she was supposed to get into the hang glider • Syn: ↑opt out • Derivationally related forms: ↑copout • Hypernyms: ↑choose, ↑prefer, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Cop Out — Filmdaten Deutscher Titel Cop Out – Geladen und entsichert Originaltitel Cop Out …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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