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
  • During her trial, prosecutors played a recording of Yang confessing to Reuter's murder to a friend who was wearing a wire.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 29 June 2026
  • After his October 2023 arrest on two murder charges, Joshua Elijah Ballard, 25, waived his Miranda rights and sat down with detectives, confessing to fatally shooting both Sebahattin Ciftci, 46, and Emre Bozkurt, 21, over a 10-day span, Det.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • Some investors sell strong positions after a few weeks of weakness, while others hold failing businesses for years because selling would require admitting they were mistaken.
    Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Sebastian Krautz went viral on NBC10 Boston this week after admitting he was initially terrified to travel to the United States because of news about crime and safety.
    Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 4 July 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 8 Jul. 2026.

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