copycat 1 of 2

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

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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 copycat
Noun
By 1954, hospitals throughout the world were using it, and by the late 1950s, numerous copycat drugs were in circulation. Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026 Another copycat incident, in Clearwater, Florida — the town that functions as Scientology’s spiritual headquarters — involved a teenager who shot out a window of the local church with a BB gun and was arrested. Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Sometimes, people will copycat what other teams have done. David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 27 Sep. 2022 And neither of us was that interested in trying to copycat any of the production elements of their songs, anyway. Vulture, 18 May 2022 See All Example Sentences for copycat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copycat
Noun
  • Baseball is a copycat league, and success breeds imitators.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
  • In Karp’s telling, Basquiat is someone who Just Did Things, like today’s defense tech founders, who possess a similar kind of creative conviction, as opposed to the consumer tech imitators of yesteryear.
    Simon Denny, Artforum, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • At every turn, OpenAI has appeared eager to copy the success of its rival.
    Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Not to be redistributed, copied, or modified in any way.
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Streep imitated how Hawn, 80, would arrive on set, always apologetic.
    Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
  • Speaking in Ormond Beach, DeSantis took aim at Jeffries’ recent warnings to Florida Republicans over redistricting, appearing to use African-American vernacular to imitate the Brooklyn lawmaker, who in 2023 became the first Black politician to lead a major party in Congress.
    Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • TikTok followers watched along as Jessica Kayll, who designs colorful silk robes, finished painting her dress in the days leading up to the gala.
    Beatrice Dupuy, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026
  • By then, Church had a band of followers.
    Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Verb
  • Study after study show that AI replicates the biases of the data it’s trained on.
    Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
  • Kate Hudson’s red carpet glam is subtle and affordable enough to replicate in real life.
    Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 3 May 2026
Verb
  • Thompson, who wants the Spartans to emulate the stability and attendance of the National Lacrosse League as well as the Savannah Bananas’ fan engagement, hopes the team can eventually sell out the 10,000-seat Coliseum.
    Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Today’s pope, Leo XIV, is eager to emulate his namesake.
    Elias Wachtel, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • But does that have echoes in what’s going on outside our window?
    Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
  • In an echo of Pliny the Younger’s account, the second skeleton, that of a somewhat older man, was found with a terracotta bowl near his head.
    Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026
Verb
  • Constable and Turner remain central to British identity today, their paintings reproduced on coffee mugs and fridge magnets; Church’s position in American culture is more precarious.
    Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • The likeliest atmospheric chemicals are methane, nitrogen or carbon monoxide, any of which could reproduce the observed dimming as the object passed before the star, according to Arimatsu.
    CBS News, CBS News, 4 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Copycat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copycat. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

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