copping (to)

present participle of cop (to), slang
as in confessing
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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for copping (to)
Verb
  • Throw in some divine intervention with the first Chicago pope confessing his allegiance to the South Siders, and the Cinderella story has captured the nation’s imagination.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Sarsour denies committing those crimes and his attorneys say he was tortured and coerced into confessing in both instances.
    — Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Related Stories The finale starts off with a flashback to Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) picking up Jordan from prison following a 10-year sentence after admitting fault for the deadly attack on Rushfield.
    — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In 2011, the two witnesses from Carter's original trial were tracked down in Mexico, admitting they had been told to lie in court and had received cash and gifts from police in exchange for their testimonies.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Copping (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copping%20%28to%29. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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