cope with a difficult situation
/koʊp wɪð ə ˈdɪf.ɪ.kəlt ˌsɪtʃ.uˈeɪ.ʃən/
Meaning
This phrase means to deal successfully with a challenging, stressful, or painful state of affairs. It emphasizes the effort and resilience needed to manage tough circumstances.
Examples
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She had to cope with a difficult situation when her car broke down in the middle of the highway.
She had to cope with a difficult situation when her car broke down in the middle of the highway.
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Learning how to cope with a difficult situation is an important skill for any manager.
Learning how to cope with a difficult situation is an important skill for any manager.
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He managed to cope with a difficult situation at work by staying calm and organized.
He managed to cope with a difficult situation at work by staying calm and organized.
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Therapy can provide you with the tools to cope with a difficult situation.
Therapy can provide you with the tools to cope with a difficult situation.
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They had to cope with a difficult situation when their flights were canceled unexpectedly.
They had to cope with a difficult situation when their flights were canceled unexpectedly.
Common Mistakes
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✗ He is trying to cope up with a difficult situation.
✓ He is trying to cope with a difficult situation.
'Cope up with' is a very common error often influenced by 'keep up with'. The correct prepositional verb is simply 'cope with'.
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✗ She couldn't cope a difficult situation.
✓ She couldn't cope with a difficult situation.
'Cope' is an intransitive verb in this context and always requires the preposition 'with' before its object.
Related Expressions
Practice
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It takes a lot of mental strength to ___ without losing your temper.
💡 Phrase meaning 'successfully manage a stressful event'.
Show answer
cope with a difficult situation
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When the power went out during the storm, we had to ___.
💡 Phrase for dealing with a tough circumstance.
Show answer
cope with a difficult situation