cop out
Evasion of responsibility
Cop out means to avoid responsibility or commitment, often by making excuses or taking the easy way out: He was going to confront his boss but copped out at the last minute.
As a noun, a cop-out is the evasion itself or an inadequate excuse: Blaming your childhood is such a cop-out.
Evade one's obligations
- neglectFailure to provide care
- derelictionAbandonment of duty
- irresponsibilityFailure to meet obligations
- avoidanceDeliberate keeping away
nonperformance · unreliability · slackness · remissness · disregard · defaulting · pass the buck · buck-passing
Evade one's obligations
- dodgeAvoid by quick movement
- evadeEscape by cunning
- sidestepEvade by moving aside
- duckWaterbird that quacks
circumvent · bypass · skirt · deflect · evasion · skirting · hedging · weaseling
Court-set release payment
- quitCease doing something
- abandonLeave behind permanently
- give upStop attempting something
- withdrawRemove or pull away
retreat · flake · walk away · back down · cave · fold · throw in the towel · wash hands of
Defense of location
- pretextFabricated motive concealing truth
- justificationReason proving rightness
- rationaleStated basis for action
- explanationStatement making something clear
loophole · escape clause · wiggle room · cover story · lame excuse · excuse-making · rationalization · self-justification
shirk
Evade one's obligations
- neglectFailure to provide care
- derelictionAbandonment of duty
- irresponsibilityFailure to meet obligations
avoidance · nonperformance · unreliability · slackness · remissness · disregard · defaulting · pass the buck · buck-passing · blame-shifting
shirk
Evade one's obligations
duck · circumvent · bypass · skirt · deflect · evasion · skirting · hedging · weaseling · stonewalling
bail
Court-set release payment
withdraw · retreat · flake · walk away · back down · cave · fold · throw in the towel · wash hands of · desert
alibi
Defense of location
- pretextFabricated motive concealing truth
- justificationReason proving rightness
- rationaleStated basis for action
explanation · loophole · escape clause · wiggle room · cover story · lame excuse · excuse-making · rationalization · self-justification · special pleading
- ineffective responsesexcuses, deflection, denial, avoidance, stonewalling
- ___ out wordsstrikeout, flyout, groundout, popup, lineout
- Blameblame, fault, culprit, accusation, guilt-tripping
- escapeescape, flee, run away, get away, flight
- evasionevasion, avoiding, avoids, evade, dodging
- leavingdeparture, quit, walking away, withdrawing, bail
cop outfollow through
Complete an intended action
see it through · commit · stick with it · persevere · stay the course
cop outface up to
Accept and address directly
confront · step up · take the bull by the horns · bite the bullet · rise to the occasion
cop outtake responsibility
Accept fault for outcomes
own up · be accountable · come clean · level with · be honest