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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Bad cops are not being fired, and good cops who may be wrongfully accused are stuck in professional purgatory. — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 On Monday, 21-year-old Javid Edwin, accompanied by a lawyer, surrendered at the 50th Precinct stationhouse and was charged with murder, manslaughter and weapon possession, cops said. — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026 After seeing corrupt cops rewarded with medals and politics debase his best friend, now the courts can’t even be trusted to perform their solemn duty. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 2 Aug. 2026 The next month, cops conducted their first major raid of the operation, seizing a shipment of meth from the airport. — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026 Maybe my memory of this trauma preserved the terror of the experience — the pops, the shouting cops, the cold asphalt — more faithfully than the map of my surroundings. — Margrét Ann Thors, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026 The cops then obtained a search warrant for Klayme’s residence and took phones and laptops from his bedroom. — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026 Unfortunately the unmarked vehicle’s drivers are cops all too willing to arrest and pin dubious charges on their non-white, gangbanger-looking quarry. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026 Instructions for pickup are discreetly communicated to health-care workers, soldiers, politicians, and cops, but word quickly gets out and the medical depots are swarmed by armed citizens desperate to save themselves. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 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

The $55 billion deal — part-funded with $20 billion borrowed against EA itself — buys Riyadh a profitable business and control of some of the biggest franchises in the world’s biggest entertainment industry.

— Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026
The oldest version of the fight is pay-to-win, where money buys advantage over other players.

— Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of buys

Noun

Footage released by Russian state media showed heavily armed law-enforcement officers, several ambulances and other emergency vehicles at the site.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
The young woman was also receiving medical treatment when officers entered the room with body cameras.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of officers

Verb

Today, there is still no standardized way to connect someone who watches a creator’s recommendation, thinks about it for a week, researches the product elsewhere, and ultimately purchases through another channel.

— Zoe Soon, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
In its fiscal year ending on March 31, digital downloads accounted for 78 percent of Sony’s full-game unit purchases.

— Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

Definition of purchases

Verb

In his first season with the Chiefs, Thornton in 2025 set career highs in touchdowns (three), catches that resulted in a first down (15) and receiving yards (438) in 2025.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
The mentor or peer advisor catches the blind spot no spreadsheet can see.

— Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026