as in sex
sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis
our Puritan forebears imposed severe penalties for copulating outside of marriage
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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
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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
-
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
Verb
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Following practices for good heart health like eating a nutritious diet, sleeping enough, getting enough consistent exercise and addressing underlying medical conditions that make heart disease more likely are all important.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
16 Feb. 2026
-
It’s often described as getting the wind knocked out of you, a knot in the stomach or even trouble sleeping.—
Kyra Dahring,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Schulte tagged nine mating pairs in Alaska and tracked them for three years.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
-
It is suspected North Carolina’s Outer Banks may be a white shark mating ground, but OCEARCH is still searching for definitive proof.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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On top of that, one of Colvin’s classmates, Jeremiah Reeves, had recently been arrested for having intercourse with a white woman.—
Essence,
Essence,
15 Jan. 2026
-
British prosecutors said Johnston used threats and intimidation to force the woman into having intercourse with the men, per the outlet.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In a sign of how bitter relations have sunk, in January star Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman had his Indian Premier League contract abruptly canceled, prompting Dhaka to ban broadcasts of the league in retaliation.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
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That effort ultimately was unsuccessful and helped create Lightfoot’s sour relations with the City Council toward the end of her single term.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Copulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copulating. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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