as in sex
sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis
female pandas are receptive to copulation for a short time once a year
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Recent Examples of copulation
She was booked on allegations of sending harmful material to a juvenile, oral copulation and digital penetration.
—
Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Samantha Josephine Watson, 41, of Eastvale, was booked at the Robert Presley Jail on Friday on suspicion of sending harmful material to a juvenile, oral copulation and digital penetration, according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 22 May 2026
In California, a jury in 2023 found Weinstein guilty of three counts — forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and penetration by foreign object — against Jane Doe 1.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
Berera was initially charged with committing a lewd act on a child and oral copulation of a person under 16, court records show, but those counts were dropped through the plea deal.
—Nate Gartrell, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Berera was initially charged with committing a lewd act on a child and oral copulation of a person under 16, court records show, but those counts were dropped through the plea deal.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
The Valley overlaps geographically with the hippie homeland of San Francisco, Berkeley, and their environs, and there’s long been cross-pollination, if not orgiastic copulation, between the two spheres.
—Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025
Brian Peck pleaded no contest to a charge of oral copulation with a minor under 16 as well as a charge of performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Samantha Josephine Watson, 41, of Eastvale, was booked at the Robert Presley Jail on Friday on suspicion of sending harmful material to a juvenile, oral copulation and digital penetration, according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 22 May 2026
In California, a jury in 2023 found Weinstein guilty of three counts — forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and penetration by foreign object — against Jane Doe 1.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
Berera was initially charged with committing a lewd act on a child and oral copulation of a person under 16, court records show, but those counts were dropped through the plea deal.
—Nate Gartrell, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Berera was initially charged with committing a lewd act on a child and oral copulation of a person under 16, court records show, but those counts were dropped through the plea deal.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
The Valley overlaps geographically with the hippie homeland of San Francisco, Berkeley, and their environs, and there’s long been cross-pollination, if not orgiastic copulation, between the two spheres.
—Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025
Brian Peck pleaded no contest to a charge of oral copulation with a minor under 16 as well as a charge of performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copulation
Noun
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The findings, from 1,592 U.S. citizens of different ages, sexes, races and incomes, were collected between Dec. 20 and Dec. 22.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
28 Dec. 2025
-
On his first day in office, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that declared the federal government would recognize only two immutable sexes: male and female.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The two counts of rape Høiby was convicted of did not involve intercourse.—
Gwladys Fouche,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
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However, soy isoflavones didn’t appear to provide significant overall benefits for painful intercourse, hot flashes, night sweats, and psychological symptoms.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
22 May 2026
Noun
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The park is a stop on the Indiana Birding Trail, offering chances to see a diverse array of species at different stages of migration, mating and raising their young.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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Durrell alternates between slapstick domestic high jinks, wanderings through the lush natural landscape, and increasingly ambitious investigations of biological life, from tracking twitching bacteria in pond water to the mating habits of insects.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Whether the reforms will be significant enough to alter relations between Havana and Washington remains uncertain.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
-
That strategy has dramatically reversed as relations frayed in recent years, and especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Copulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copulation. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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