as in sex
sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis
our Puritan forebears imposed severe penalties for copulating outside of marriage
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in sleeping
to engage in sexual intercourse
the time of year when deer in the wild are likely to copulate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of copulating
Jack Guy, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
After copulating, the two males lay immobile on the seafloor as the female swam away.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copulating
Noun
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The World Ultimate Athletics Championships, which debut next September (as a finals-only global, international competition), are excluding men’s triple jump and women’s hammer throw, as well as shot put and discus for both sexes.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Ironically, stiff upper lips seem to have almost vanished as both sexes burst into tears if anything either lovely or lousy happens to them.—
Jilly Cooper,
Vogue,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Reaffirming the idea in 1990, the AAP reported that American children were spending more time watching television than any other activity, apart from sleeping.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
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But several had no mat at all, sleeping on the bathroom floor next to feces and urine in a room that housed 10 too many people, a filing alleged.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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To combat the spread of the flies, the USDA disperses sterile flies into the area to stop the mating, a scientific method known as sterile insect technique (SIT).—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Since these ticks are parthenogenetic, meaning an individual female can lay eggs without mating, essentially cloning herself, male ticks are rare.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There are alignments of anemia with some of the early modern symptoms of green sickness—though very few people today are likely to think anemia is caused by a blockage of bodily humors curable by intercourse.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
27 Sep. 2025
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One 2024 survey found that about 60 percent of college students reported having had vaginal intercourse; a 2022 Pew Research survey reported that more than half of all adults under 30 were in a relationship at the time.—
Molly Langmuir,
The Atlantic,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The problem is that the world of interpersonal relations is hard to put a number on.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
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Tensions were already high between Washington and Bogotá over President Gustavo Petro’s attempts to curb drug trafficking, threatening the countries’ close security and commercial relations.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Copulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copulating. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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