ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cop out

idiom
Meaning

To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner.


Origin

first recorded 20th c.

Attested since 1942 as “flee, escape, cop (an) out”.

Examples
SIMPLE

Don't cop out of doing your share of the work.

CONTEXTUAL

He decided to cop out of the difficult project by claiming he was too busy to help.

COMPLEX

Rather than addressing the fundamental flaws in his proposal, he chose to cop out by offering a series of vague and unhelpful excuses.

Anchors to
Related idioms4entries
  1. 01

    cop a flower pot

    [Cockney slang]cop it hot

  2. 02

    cop on

    Common sense.

  3. 03

    cop one's whack

    To die.

  4. 04

    cop oneself on

    to cop on, stop behaving immaturely

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