cops and robbers

noun

1. a children's game in which a group of players imitate the behavior of police and of thieves, as in pursuing and capturing.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cops and robbers¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Though “Heat,” the stylish, epic tale of cops and robbers starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, has over the years become Mann’s signature film, the event was centered more around the brooding dramatic thriller “The Insider.”

From Los Angeles Times

He loved “the game of cops and robbers,” he recounted, and became an expert prevaricator.

From Los Angeles Times

He said in their early 20s, the rappers ran around Shakur’s backyard with unloaded guns playing a game of cops and robbers.

From Seattle Times

“When my friends played cops and robbers, I always chose to be the cop,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

That kind of cash can affect what editors and journalists choose to take on, forgoing coverage of the unglamorous to pour scant resources into pieces that translate into compelling TV: character-driven stories about true crime, cops and robbers, and the ungodly rich.

From Washington Post