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copy

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verb

1
as in to reproduce
to make an exact likeness of for the movie, set designers copied the Oval Office in the White House down to the smallest detail

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to imitate
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior she shamelessly copies her idol's hairstyle and fashion choices

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun copy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of copy are duplicate, facsimile, replica, and reproduction. While all these words mean "a thing made to closely resemble another," copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically.

printed 1000 copies of the lithograph

When might duplicate be a better fit than copy?

While the synonyms duplicate and copy are close in meaning, duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing.

a duplicate of a house key

When would facsimile be a good substitute for copy?

The words facsimile and copy can be used in similar contexts, but facsimile suggests a close reproduction often of graphic matter that may differ in scale.

a facsimile of a rare book

Where would replica be a reasonable alternative to copy?

Although the words replica and copy have much in common, replica implies the exact reproduction of a particular item in all details, but not always in the same scale.

a replica of the Mayflower
miniature replicas of classic cars

In what contexts can reproduction take the place of copy?

The words reproduction and copy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, reproduction implies an exact or close imitation of an existing thing.

reproductions from the museum's furniture collection

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 copy
Noun
Target left about 500 of its stores open past midnight Thursday night for Swifties who wanted to line up for first crack at holding physical copies in their hands. Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2025 The last record, set by Swift in 2024 with the debut of The Tortured Poets Department, sold 859,000 copies on vinyl in the same frame. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
Pet owner Saige shared an adorable clip on TikTok (@saigescho) showing her white rescue kitten, Maude, copying the antics of her long-haired chihuahua, Alfie. Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 If that's not an option, copy backups from your external drive or cloud storage onto the new computer. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for copy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copy
Noun
  • Another, the cost of reproduction hypothesis, suggests that carrying and delivering a child, and providing parental care, can come with a survival cost, according to the study.
    Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Without this abundance, reproduction rates fall, cub survival drops, and entire ecosystems can shift.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
    Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
  • This one-upmanship obscured testimony on how many games reproduced—rather than created—society’s sexist and racist ideals.
    Time, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Watch the full collection of Survivor 49 players hilariously imitating Probst making fun of them during a challenge in the video at the top of the article.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Often imitated but never duplicated, the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer continues to be a bestseller online, beloved by both salon owners and everyday users alike.
    Brittany Loggins, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Visitors can walk through wildflowers as military aircraft fly over a lonely barn-like hangar—a replica of one that housed the first practical flying machine.
    Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The decoy unfolds from a compact square box and inflates into a full-size F-35 replica within minutes.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Nylander needs to replicate and probably exceed last season’s 45-goal campaign.
    Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Consider replicating your favorite flavor with a homemade batch.
    Brianna Tobritzhofer, Health, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Datskovska regularly reports on celebrity style and how to emulate it.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The rest of the industry wants to emulate this success, but as many editors know, chasing a trend can be a futile endeavor.
    Rebecca Ackermann, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As Riofrancos notes, approximately 69 percent of transition minerals—and a whopping 85 percent of lithium reserves—are in or near Indigenous or poor communities across the globe, rendering these groups disproportionately vulnerable to water contamination, displacement, and economic insecurity.
    Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Their skin is separated from the meat so the fat can render beneath it, crisping the surface while basting the flesh from within.
    Mackensy Lunsford, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This process repeats roughly a dozen times each day, with some trucks transporting grain or fertilizer to customers in Illinois and Minnesota.
    Miranda Dunlap, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Oli systematically begins to pick them up, walking steadily between the basket and the floor, dropping the balls in the tennis ball hopper one by one, repeating the process with consistent precision.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Copy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copy. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

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