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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to copy
to make an exact likeness of
asked her stylist to copycat a hairstyle from the magazine
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
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
Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
This copycat recipe is simple, refreshing, and endlessly crunchy.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
Sure their McDonald’s copycat hash brown patties and peanut butter protein granola might get more airtime on TikTok.
—Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
This copycat recipe is simple, refreshing, and endlessly crunchy.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 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
-
Though Cox has a small role and Panettiere returns, the lack of legacy characters makes this feel like a cheap imitator at times.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
-
For decades, Gallup’s company and its imitators improved their techniques.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Our team is interested in finding out if dolphins also copy whistles of others who aren’t present, potentially talking about them.—
Laela Sayigh,
The Conversation,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The lawsuits accused Suno and Udio of unlawfully copying the three companies’ sound recordings as training models for their AI models.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The gulls weren’t directly imitating the act of eating.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The gulls weren’t imitating human eating directly but were using the human’s choice as a cue to guide their own foraging decisions.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And what struck me as really interesting is just how many members were part of these groups and how many of these groups there are, specifically on Reddit, some of which have upwards of a million followers.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Late last week, Lindsey Buckingham dropped a very tantalizing tidbit while speaking to his Instagram followers about his future plans.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Vidovic noted the RedHawks are not trying to replicate the 2025 season because few teams could do that.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Given the large number of draft-eligible people, which should include women, there would be necessary and inevitable deferments, exemptions and other mechanisms that would essentially replicate the situation of previous drafts.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
California is often a political staging ground for progressive initiatives on issues such as environmental safeguards, worker rights and protections for minorities that are then emulated by other Democratic states and used by Republicans to attack Democrats in swing areas.—
Joseph Ax,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Bryson warned owner Ron Letizia that incorporating alcohol and trying to emulate downtown’s Roxy scene would not work.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The gathering at Milander Field was part protest, part celebration — a vibrant echo of a Cuban fiesta.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
-
There were also subtle echoes to Alessandro Michele’s influence throughout—a welcome nod from Demna, one that bridges past and present while setting the tone for the next Gucci chapter.—
Laura Jackson,
Vogue,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Engineers are using their knowledge of fluid mechanics and materials science to reproduce the unique environment of the womb.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Copycat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copycat. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
