Thesaurus results for COPULATING

copulating 1 of 2

noun

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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copulating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of copulate

as in sleeping

to engage in sexual intercourse the time of year when deer in the wild are likely to copulate

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of copulating

Verb

While copulating, female praying mantises often kill their mates and eat them. — Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 And finally, wouldn’t being near-perfectly still for an hour make a pair of copulating octopuses ridiculously exposed to predators? — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2026 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 crab digs shallow burrows for mating and molting and frequently maintains several burrows within its territory, the USGS report states.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
The gear’s teeth and internal ribs came through clearly, as did the clip’s narrow gate and mating features.

— Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of mating

Verb

Humans have been sleeping on some sort of mattress for 77,000 years, beginning with leaves and twigs, then innovating through other plant materials and animal hair, eventually reaching today’s many, many foam offerings.

— Jaklin Romine Oct. 15, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
The last slide of the carousel features a video of himself rocking a sleeping newborn.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of sleeping

Noun

Pilots from states without diplomatic relations with Israel, such as Oman, are in theory prohibited from landing in Israel.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 10 Oct. 2026
Cheeks got his first formal assignment on the creative side — and showed his talent relations skills — when, as EVP Business Operations for NBC and Universal TV, he was put in charge of NBC Late Night in 2014.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of relations

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“Copulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copulating. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of copulating

noun

verb

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