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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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

Crickets and cockroaches have much smaller cerci used to sense vibrations in the air, but Stokes explained that earwigs use their cerci for defense, hunting, mating and courtship.

— Hannah Smith July 22, Idaho Statesman, 22 July 2026
Game of thrones The team started by taking mating pairs out of a colony away from any queen.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026

Definition of mating

Verb

The monks emulated Buddha’s journey — walking barefoot, eating one meal a day, and sleeping under the stars.

— Deepa Bharath, Fortune, 17 July 2026
Sleep accessories There are those of us who have become accustomed to certain amenities when sleeping, whether that is at a five-star hotel or a backcountry campsite.

— Clay Abney, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2026

Definition of sleeping

Noun

Both countries also opened a second cluster last week focused on foreign relations, security and defense policies, as well as trade policy, development cooperation and humanitarian aid.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 July 2026
The move underscores the increasingly important role AI chips play in diplomatic relations and international politics.

— Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of relations

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“Copulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copulating. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of copulating

noun

verb

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