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Synonyms

coping

American  
[koh-ping] / ˈkoʊ pɪŋ /

noun

  1. a finishing or protective course or cap to an exterior masonry wall or the like.

  2. a piece of woodwork having its end shaped to fit together with a molding.

coping British  
/ ˈkəʊpɪŋ /

noun

  1. Also called: cope.  the sloping top course of a wall, usually made of masonry or brick

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of coping

First recorded in 1595–1605; cope 2 + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If you’re an older saver coping with tax planning for a large, traditional IRA—or even a smaller one—you might have overlooked a useful tool.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Lynne Littman’s 1983 film, now available in a 4K restoration from the Criterion Collection, stars an Oscar-nominated Jane Alexander as the mother of a family coping with the effects of nuclear war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

She has since stopped taking the medication and said she had built up an "arsenal" of other coping strategies.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Q: How do you think she's coping with prison?

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

The two boys had already been coping alone for eight weeks.

From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.