# cop out

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cop-out
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

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

## Examples

- Don't cop out of doing your share of the work.
- You always cop out when it is time to wash the dishes.
- Do not cop out just because the exercise feels a bit difficult.
- He decided to cop out of the difficult project by claiming he was too busy to help.
- The manager chose to cop out by blaming the software instead of admitting he made a mistake during the presentation.
- She felt like she had to cop out of the marathon because she did not train enough during the winter.
- Rather than addressing the fundamental flaws in his proposal, he chose to cop out by offering a series of vague and unhelpful excuses.

## Origin

First attested in 1942 as a colloquialism for the act of fleeing or escaping, the term originated from the phrase to cop an out. The construction reflects a variation of the slang sense of cop as a verb for obtaining or taking, here applied to the procurement of a convenient exit.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.