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Synonyms

coping

American  
[koh-ping] / ˈkoʊ pɪŋ /

noun

  1. a finishing or protective course or cap to an exterior masonry wall or the like.

  2. a piece of woodwork having its end shaped to fit together with a molding.

coping British  
/ ˈkəʊpɪŋ /

noun

  1. Also called: cope.  the sloping top course of a wall, usually made of masonry or brick

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of coping

First recorded in 1595–1605; cope 2 + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Typical ways of coping with declining enrollment including closing schools and reducing the number of employees.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Many of the ways Asian countries are coping could hurt their economies further.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

The NHS is coping well with the doctors' strike in England, the head of the health service says.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

She and her siblings believe it was their father's way of coping with the tragedy and keeping Marylyn inside the house.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

He reported that the strain of coping with the expedition’s aftereffects was threatening to wreck his marriage.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.