COPS Synonyms: 137 Similar and Opposite Words

cops 1 of 2

noun

plural of cop

as in policemen

a member of a force charged with law enforcement at the local level a cop stopped her for speeding

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civilians

cops

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of cop, slang

as in buys

to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for I copped a great outfit for only $50

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in grabs

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

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of cops

Noun

Bernadette explains the racial nuances the Guardians might not know as newcomers to Earth, echoing the landmark 1971 Green Lantern/Green Arrow comic series, which attempts to bring the space cops down to Earth by exposing them to racial strife. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026 In the years since Shakur's murder, what exactly happened in that hail of bullets -- and who pulled the trigger -- was obscured by a lack of physical evidence, feuding cops and the gangland code of silence. — Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 The video shows a woman in a pink shirt in a standoff with cops, who surround her outside a police station. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 Women have little voice in this community of stale, disappointed men, including the local cops who are her father’s best friends. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026 The cops arrived hours past midnight, turning on the lights to reveal an army of dazed, squinting faces. — Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 But, practically speaking, none of it is imaginable or executable without digital technologies that are fundamentally black-boxed, inscrutable to individual cops on the beat and institutional decision-makers alike. — Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cops

Noun

People began rioting in Los Angeles’ predominantly Black Watts neighborhood after a crowd watched White policemen forcefully subdue a Black man.

— USA Today, USA Today, 28 July 2026
Over the weekend, dozens of plain-clothes policemen entered the protest site and dragged Wangchuk into an ambulance.

— Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 July 2026

Definition of policemen

Verb

China buys the overwhelming majority of Iran’s crude through opaque trading networks that bypass sanctions.

— Kareem Chehayeb, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
When a billionaire buys a $100 million mansion, for example, the purchase price largely goes to the South Florida seller.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of buys

Noun

After it was immobilized, the driver attempted to leave the vehicle and was apprehended by officers, according to NEA Report.

— Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026
Many reviews mention that representatives and loan officers are easy to reach, knowledgeable, helpful and friendly.

— Dan Simms, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of officers

Verb

That’s also the cost to replace a camera destroyed by vandalism, according to Flock’s reinstall fee schedule, unless a client purchases a special camera protection plan.

— Haley Parsley August 22, Sacbee.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Set in the fictional town of Golden, a man named Theo arrives and purchases pencil portraits of locals that are displayed in a coffee shop.

— Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026