copycat

noun, often attributive

copy·cat | \ˈkä-pē-ˌkat

Definition of copycat

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : one who imitates or adopts the behavior or practices of another

2 : an imitative act or product copycat board games

copycat

verb

copycatted; copycatting

Definition of copycat (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to act as a copycat

transitive verb

: imitate

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about copycat

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Examples of copycat in a Sentence

Noun

She called me a copycat for wearing the same dress. every rock singer who makes it big soon has a whole cluster of copycats

Verb

asked her stylist to copycat a hairstyle from the magazine a performer who slavishly copycats another never rises to the level of true stardom

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Gökçe’s flick-of-the-wrist salting style quickly inspired copycats, merch, and Halloween costumes. — Gaby Del Valle, Vox, "Why is Marco Rubio tweeting about Salt Bae?," 18 Sep. 2018 Babbo Ristorante Enoteca Babbo is the gold standard for today’s New York Italian restaurants, and has spawned a hundred copycats. — Alex Van Buren, Condé Nast Traveler, "20 Best Italian Restaurants in New York," 27 Feb. 2018 Brands with both a potential legal leg to stand on and the means to endure costly legal battles have taken their copycat woes to court. — Chavie Lieber, Vox, "Fashion brands steal design ideas all the time. And it’s completely legal.," 27 Apr. 2018 Five-year-old Ian Parker and his unlikely friend are bringing joy to the world after a video of them playing an incredible game of copycat went viral earlier this week. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "Watch This Adorable Little Boy and Bear Jump in Unison at Nashville Zoo," 14 June 2018 But not all of Portland's copycats have enjoyed the same success. — Ahmed Elbenni, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee residents explore new streetcars at The Hop open house," 8 June 2018 For one thing, the attack in China has led to real fear of either a wider plot by a foreign power (many say Russia) or the rise of copycats who see a way to hurt and terrorize U.S. diplomats with impunity. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Is Still Clueless About the Creepy 'Sonic' Attacks in China and Cuba," 7 June 2018 The interior is designed with tasteful style that has an engaging uniqueness that is uniquely American and not a copycat of any European competitor. — Mark Maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2018 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid: When mileage and elegance matter," 15 May 2018 The winner in the Surface line has been the more expensive Surface Pro series: Microsoft found a formula that worked with the Surface Pro 3 and has seen steady sales and a proliferation of copycat devices. — Peter Bright, Ars Technica, "Report: Microsoft is going to try to make a cheap Surface tablet… again," 16 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The Kardashian-Jenners are no strangers to copycat controversy. — Zoë Weiner, Teen Vogue, "People Accuse Kim Kardashian of Copying Urban Decay With Her KKW Beauty Cherry Blossom Collection," 12 Sep. 2018 Wentz’s impact is obvious, and Roseman’s moves influenced the Bears to copycat him with a similarly heavy commitment to the position a year later (bringing in Mike Glennon, Mark Sanchez and then Mitch Trubisky). — Albert Breer, SI.com, "Cleveland Browns Won’t Be Starting From Scratch in Evaluating the Draft’s Top Quarterbacks," 25 Jan. 2018 Now that the company is public, however, all eyes are on Snap to show huge growth, especially as Facebook’s (fb, +0.23%) competing Instagram service consistently debuts copycat features and tries to steal users. — Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, "After Rocky Year, CEO Evan Spiegel Is Still Happy Snap Went Public," 16 Feb. 2018 These individual cases, then, could not be attributed to copycat behavior. — Susan Scutti, CNN, "The woman who sweats blood from her palms and her face," 24 Oct. 2017 This copycat approach to investing has led to crushing losses for people tantalized by astronomical gains in the past. — Gail Marksjarvis, chicagotribune.com, "Why investors should be wary of bitcoin," 31 Aug. 2017 For now, police vans serve as deterrents to copycat assaults until Barcelona installs protective barriers. — Jeannette Neumann, WSJ, "In Barcelona, Crowds March Defiantly for Peace After Terrorist Attacks," 26 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'copycat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.