Cops — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb phrase /ˈkäp/ (noun) /ˈkäps/ (noun) /ˈrent-ə-ˌkäp/ (noun)

Meaning & Definition of Cops

Cops (noun)

  1. police officer
  2. a cylindrical or conical mass of thread, yarn, or roving wound on a quill or tube; also, a quill or tube upon which it is wound
  3. top, crest
  4. a thicket, grove, or growth of small trees —called also coppice
  5. a children's game in which the players imitate the way police chase and shoot at criminals in movies, on television, etc.
  6. a security worker (such as a guard) who is not a police officer

Cops (verb)

  1. to get hold of, catch, capture; also, purchase
  2. steal, swipe
  3. adopt
  4. to back out (as of an unwanted responsibility)
  5. to avoid or neglect problems, responsibilities, or commitments
  6. to admit to doing (something)

Cops (phrase)

  1. to plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to avoid standing trial for a more serious one; broadly, to admit fault and plead for mercy

Cops (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a member of a force charged with law enforcement at the local level

    "a cop stopped her for speeding"

    similar: bobbies (British), bulls (slang), constables (chiefly British), coppers, flatfeet (slang), fuzzes, gendarmes, lawmen, officers, policemen, police officers, shamuses (slang)
    related: patrolmen, policewomen, detectives, dicks, gumshoes, hawkshaws, inspectors, investigators, plainclothesmen, sherlocks, sleuthhounds, sleuths, marshals, sheriffs, troopers, peace officers, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, constabularies, heat (slang), men, police, police forces, operatives, private detectives, private eyes, private investigators
    near: civilians

Cops (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for

    "I copped a great outfit for only $50"

    similar: buys, picks up, purchases, takes
    related: acquires, gains, garners, gets, obtains, procures, secures, wins, finances, pays (for), springs (for), barters (for), deals (for), dickers (over), exchanges (for), haggles (for), negotiates (about), trades (for), bargains (with), chaffers (with), horse-trades (with), palters (with), bids, offers, rebuys, repurchases
    near: deals (in), markets, merchandises, retails, sells, vends

  2. to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly

    "some concertgoers rushed pell-mell through the doors so that they could cop the seats down front"

    similar: bags, captures, catches, collars, corrals, gets, gloms, grabs, grapples, hooks, lands, nabs, nails, nets, nobbles (British slang), raps, seizes, snags, snaps (up), snares, snatches, traps, takes hold (of)
    related: gloves, halters, lassos, ropes, apprehends, arrests, detains, bays, corners, clasps, clutches, fastens (on), fists, grasps, grips, holds, latches (on or onto), secures, rends, wrests, enmeshes, ensnares, entangles, entraps, meshes, abducts, kidnaps, spirits (away or off)
    opposite: misses
    near: discharges, frees, liberates, releases, drops, loosens, unhands

Related Entry: Cop (noun)

Cop is a different word from Cops. The synonyms below are for cop, not for cops.

  1. a member of a force charged with law enforcement at the local level

    "a cop stopped her for speeding"

    similar: bobby (British), bull (slang), constable (chiefly British), copper, flatfoot (slang), fuzz, gendarme, lawman, officer, police officer, policeman, shamus (slang)
    related: patrolman, policewoman, detective, dick, gumshoe, hawkshaw, inspector, investigator, plainclothesman, sherlock, sleuth, sleuthhound, marshal, sheriff, trooper, peace officer, captain, lieutenant, sergeant, constabulary, heat (slang), man, police, police force, operative, private detective, private eye, private investigator
    near: civilian

Related Entry: Cop (verb)

Cop is a different word from Cops. The synonyms below are for cop, not for cops.

  1. to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for

    "I copped a great outfit for only $50"

    similar: buy, pick up, purchase, take
    related: acquire, gain, garner, get, obtain, procure, secure, win, finance, pay (for), spring (for), barter (for), deal (for), dicker (over), exchange (for), haggle (for), negotiate (about), trade (for), bargain (with), chaffer (with), horse-trade (with), palter (with), bid, offer, rebuy, repurchase
    near: deal (in), market, merchandise, retail, sell, vend

  2. to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly

    "some concertgoers rushed pell-mell through the doors so that they could cop the seats down front"

    similar: bag, capture, catch, collar, corral, get, glom, grab, grapple, hook, land, nab, nail, net, nobble (British slang), rap, seize, snag, snap (up), snare, snatch, trap, take hold (of)
    related: glove, halter, lasso, rope, apprehend, arrest, detain, bay, corner, clasp, clutch, fasten (on), fist, grasp, grip, hold, latch (on or onto), secure, rend, wrest, enmesh, ensnare, entangle, entrap, mesh, abduct, kidnap, spirit (away or off)
    opposite: miss
    near: discharge, free, liberate, release, drop, loosen, unhand

Related Entry: Cop (to) (verb)

Cop (to) is a different word from Cops. The synonyms below are for cop (to), not for cops.

  1. to make an acknowledgment of something unpleasant as true or valid

    "the defendant made a deal with the prosecutor and copped to a lesser charge"

    similar: admit, confess, fess (up), own (up)
    related: blab, talk, tattle, babble, spill
    near: clam up, hush, quiet (down), shut up

Related Entry: Copse (noun)

Copse is a different word from Cops. The synonyms below are for copse, not for cops.

  1. a thick patch of shrubbery, small trees, or underbrush

    "a small copse of trees shaded the back of the house"

    similar: boscage, bosk, bosquet, brake, brushwood, chaparral, coppice, covert, thicket
    related: canebrake, brush, bush, scrub, scrubland, bramble, jungle, tangle, grove, hedge, stand, woodlot, forest, greenwood, wildwood, wood, woodland

Related Entry: Cops out (verb)

Cops out is a different word from Cops. The synonyms below are for cops out, not for cops.

  1. to break a promise or agreement

    "don't cop out on your promise to pay for the damage"

    similar: backs down, backs off, backs out, finks out, reneges, goes back on
    related: chickens (out), wimps out, backpedals, backtracks, abjures, abnegates, disavows, forswears, recalls, recants, repudiates, retracts, takes back, unsays, withdraws, begs off, cries off (chiefly British)
    near: adheres (to), follows through (with), complies (with), fulfills, honors, keeps, satisfies

Related Entry: Cop out (verb)

Cop out is a different word from Cops. The synonyms below are for cop out, not for cops.

  1. to break a promise or agreement

    "don't cop out on your promise to pay for the damage"

    similar: back down, back off, back out, fink out, renege, go back on
    related: chicken (out), wimp out, backpedal, backtrack, abjure, abnegate, disavow, forswear, recall, recant, repudiate, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw, beg off, cry off (chiefly British)
    near: adhere (to), follow through (with), comply (with), fulfill, honor, keep, satisfy

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Cops

The most common words with a similar meaning to Cops:

Slang: bulls, flatfeet, shamuses
British: bobbies
Chiefly British: constables
British slang: nobbles
coppers, fuzzes, gendarmes, lawmen, officers, policemen, police officers, buys, picks up, purchases, takes, bags, captures, catches, collars, corrals, gets, gloms, grabs, grapples, hooks, lands, nabs, nails, nets, raps, seizes, snags, snaps (up), snares, snatches, traps, takes hold (of)

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Cops

Words with the opposite meaning of Cops:

misses

Related Words for Cops

patrolmen, policewomen, detectives, dicks, gumshoes, hawkshaws, inspectors, investigators, plainclothesmen, sherlocks, sleuthhounds, sleuths, marshals, sheriffs, troopers, peace officers, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, constabularies, heat, men, police, police forces, operatives, private detectives, private eyes, private investigators, acquires, gains

Near Antonyms of Cops

civilians, deals (in), markets, merchandises, retails, sells, vends, discharges, frees, liberates, releases, drops, loosens, unhands

Word Forms of Cops

Inflections: copped, copping, copped out, copping out, cops out, copped to, copping to, cops to

Origin & Etymology of Cops

short for copper:3

First known use: 1858

Words & Phrases Containing Cops

copse, cops and robbers

Frequently Asked Questions about Cops

What does "Cops" mean?

"Cops" means police officer. As an a noun, a verb and a phrase, it is defined as: police officer. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Cops"?

Other words for "Cops" include bobbies, bulls, constables, coppers, flatfeet, fuzzes, gendarmes and lawmen. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Cops" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Cops"?

There are 119 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Cops". Common alternatives include bobbies, bulls, constables, coppers, flatfeet, fuzzes, gendarmes, lawmen, officers and policemen.

What is a slang word for "Cops"?

Slang words for "Cops" include bulls, flatfeet, shamuses and nobbles.

What is the opposite of "Cops"?

Antonyms of "Cops" include misses. Near antonyms include civilians, deals (in), markets and merchandises.

How do you use "Cops" in a sentence?

Examples of "Cops" in a sentence: "a cop stopped her for speeding"; "I copped a great outfit for only $50"; "some concertgoers rushed pell-mell through the doors so that they could cop the seats down front".

Is "Cops" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Cops" can be used as a noun, a verb and a phrase, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Cops"?

"Cops" is pronounced /ˈkäp/ as a noun, /ˈkäps/ as a noun and /ˈrent-ə-ˌkäp/ as a noun.