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

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 Earlier this year, Mylan NV announced a tie-up with Revance Therapeutics Inc. to develop a copycat version of the wrinkle treatment. — Emma Ockerman, chicagotribune.com, "Allergan bets on Botox ad campaign, this time geared for men too," 1 May 2018 Parents are worried about copycat killers who want fame. — Fox News, "Dad of Parkland victim reacts to release of shooter's videos," 1 June 2018 Research showed there are plenty of copycat recipe versions floating around cyberspace. — Claire Perez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Starbucks doesn't share recipes but this pumpkin bread comes close," 11 May 2018 The company has long faced copycats and competitors, including HomeAway, VRBO and OneFineStay. — Erin Griffith, WIRED, "The Airbnb Challenger You've Never Heard of (by Name)," 2 July 2018 Mental illness is sometimes a factor, as is the copycat effect that arises from widespread coverage of such killings. — Austin Ramzy, New York Times, "Shanghai Knife Attack Kills Two Schoolchildren," 28 June 2018 To many, the EU seemed asleep at the wheel for eight years as Orban created his illiberal state and spawned copycats in the region. — Zoltan Simon, Bloomberg.com, "How Europe’s Populist Ringleader Transformed Hungary: QuickTake," 16 May 2018 The biotech last year filed a lawsuit against a Russian company called Nativa to ban production and sales of a copycat version. — Ed Silverman, STAT, "A Russian court grants a compulsory license for a best-selling Celgene drug," 10 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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.