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• cop-out
  cop-out

  noun

  an act or instance of copping out; reneging; evasion.
• cop out
  cop out

  verb

  (intr, adverb) to fail to assume responsibility or to commit oneself

cop-out

American  

[kop-out] / ˈkɒpˌaʊt /

noun

Informal.

1. an act or instance of copping out; reneging; evasion.

   The governor's platform was a cop-out.

2. a person who cops out.

   Everyone helped as they had promised, except for one cop-out.

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cop out British  

verb

1. (intr, adverb) to fail to assume responsibility or to commit oneself

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noun

1. an instance of avoiding responsibility or commitment

2. a person who acts in this way

cop out Idioms  

1. Back out of a responsibility or commitment; also, take the easy way out. For example, Don't count on him; he's been known to fake illness and cop out, or She'll cop out and let her assistant do all the work. These meanings are derived from the underworld slang use of cop out for backing down or surrendering. [Late 1950s]

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Usage

What does cop-out mean? Cop-out is a slang term for the act or an instance of backing out of a situation or commitment or avoiding responsibility for something. When you take the easy way out to avoid doing something challenging or making a difficult choice, that’s a cop-out. An excuse can be called a cop-out. The term is sometimes spelled without a hyphen (cop out) or as one word (copout). The verb cop out (without a hyphen) means to back out or avoid something in this way, especially something you’ve committed to doing. Similar terms are flake and flake out. When used as a verb, cop out is usually followed by a preposition (typically on or of) and the thing being avoided or backed out of, as in You just knew he was going to cop out on us again with some lame excuse. Less commonly, cop-out can refer to a person who has copped out or who is known for copping out. Both the noun and verb senses of the word are used negatively to criticize people who cop out. Example: His response to the question is a total cop-out—he’s just afraid to answer it directly.

Etymology

Origin of cop-out

First recorded in 1940–45; noun use of verb phrase cop out

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cop-out cop out

That might sound like a cop-out, but it’s difficult and possibly even brave to make such a commitment to the mundane.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

Zuckerberg’s AI is a cop-out, not a breakthrough.

From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026

As I wrote about last week, all-sides dinner — regardless of the season — isn’t a cop-out.

From Salon ● Feb. 18, 2026

Some would say that that’s a cop-out, this glass half full and half empty.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2025

In our day and age, you might give a cop-out excuse like "The heart wants what it wants," but keep in mind this was Iran in the 1940s.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

The Australian leader's comments were condemned, however, by the outspoken activist Grace Tame who labelled them a "patronising cop out from a total coward".

From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026

Sean Donovan was 14 when he knew he had gender dysphoria and said it was a "cop out" that Wales did not have a service for young people.

From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2024

In the most charitable terms, his opposition is a cop out.

From Slate ● May 3, 2023

But I didn’t want to basically cop out.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 20, 2021

I hoped it wasn’t no cop, out patrolling the park.

From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore