Definition of copycatnext
as in imitator
a person who adopts the appearance or behavior of another especially in an obvious way every rock singer who makes it big soon has a whole cluster of copycats

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copycat

2 of 2

verb

1
2
as in to imitate
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior a performer who slavishly copycats another never rises to the level of true stardom

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 copycat
Noun
The success that the Canadiens, Wild, Senators, Mammoth and Hurricanes have enjoyed with those above deals has, understandably, created some copycats. — James Mirtle, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 The Tetris Company has previously won damages from developers who made copycat games without a license. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
But factors including insurance coverage, pricing, copycat drugs and the development of new pills will ultimately determine how far the treatments will reach. — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2025 Maybe don’t copycat Netflix so much, other streamers. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for copycat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copycat
Noun
  • The Dadaists used this gleefully and compulsively (see René Clair and Francis Picabia’s wacky Entr’Acte); so, famously, did Hideo Nakata in Y2K hit The Ring and countless imitators.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The account has amassed over 10,000 followers, inspiring imitator accounts.
    — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Eventually, as lesser talents copied the techniques without the wit, the novelty wore thin, giving modernist cuisine a bad name.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Together, the partners use electrical heat to copy operating conditions inside the planned NuSun micro fission system.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • OpenAI denied intentionally imitating Johansson’s voice and later withdrew the feature.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Then-Princess Elizabeth struggled to pronounce her own name as a toddler, and her grandfather, King George V, reportedly imitated her pronunciation.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Together, the songs take longtime Prine fans and new followers more deeply into his vivid approach to songwriting, which gave voice to the lives, emotions, struggles and celebrations of everyday people.
    — Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Patricia Krenwinkel, a former follower of cult leader Charles Manson convicted in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders, has been recommended for parole after spending more than 55 years behind bars.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Meloni’s move comes as governments, regulators and public figures grapple with the rapid spread of artificial intelligence tools capable of convincingly replicating voices and images.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Craven similarly replicates the formula of inoffensive statement versus misogynistic backlash.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Most Marylanders know that gerrymandering is wrong, and both polls show a majority of voters aren’t ready to emulate the bad behavior of other states and embrace gerrymandering.
    — Colin Pascal, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Horton showed up to his audition and instinctively tried to emulate Tanter’s signature baritone voice.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Audiences will no doubt see broad echoes of what could have been in Ali’s passionate and often ruthless Latif.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Ari struggles to understand how its two worlds connect, and as events in one world echo events in the other, so will many readers.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • An algorithm trained on incomplete or unrepresentative data can reproduce inequities already present in healthcare, except now those decisions arrive wrapped in the appearance of objectivity.
    — Paula Ferrada, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • These earliest plants evolved from water-living multicellular green algae—descendants of the cyanobacteria—and reproduced using spores.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Copycat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copycat. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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