copycat 1 of 2

noun

ˈkä-pē-ˌkat How to pronounce copycat (audio)
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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copycat

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to copy
to make an exact likeness of asked her stylist to copycat a hairstyle from the magazine

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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
Noun
In a $220 million gamble, its public power utility, EPB, has helped transform the once struggling post-industrial city into an unlikely marvel of civic reinvention, and an inspiration for many other dozens of copycat towns around the country. — Sara Herschander, Vox, 29 Oct. 2026 More comparisons show up in an Allrecipes roundup of Aldi copycats, which flags Clancy’s Original Potato Chips as an alternative to Lay’s and Choceur Peanut Butter Cups as a stand-in for Reese’s. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 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
  1. imitator
  2. copy
  3. imitate
  4. follower
  5. replicate
  6. emulate
  7. echo
  8. reproduce
Noun
  • Under Shanken’sleadership, Wine Spectator spawned a handful of imitators, but not a single one could hold a candle to the magazine’s style, influence, or reach.
    — Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Dee Brock created the phenomenon that went on to add billions in value to the NFL franchise and spawn imitators.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of imitator
Verb
  • Something happened with Avalancha, where the pristine sound quality achieved by Santaolalla and [co-producer] Aníbal Kerpel merged with our conscious decision not to copy anything from the Anglo mainstream.
    — Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Teams that understand those differences stop copying and pasting the same content everywhere and start creating with intention.
    — Tonia Ryan, Forbes.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of copy
Verb
  • Claude is destined to imitate these human traits and mirror the human examples provided to it, including acting like a colleague or friend.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
  • These are commonly used in things like model aircraft to imitate jet engines.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of imitate
Noun
  • Mackenzie was charged with the murders alongside 28 of his followers, including guards who enforced his fasting directives and gravediggers who helped conceal the mass graves.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Mackenzie preached that the world would end in August 2023 and that followers needed to fast in order to reach heaven.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of follower
Verb
  • But then labs across the globe tried to replicate the experiment and couldn’t, and an almighty takedown ensued.
    — George Musser, Quanta Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The Ipsos survey and several other polls — if replicated on voting day — indicate that most metropolitan municipalities would require coalition governments after the local elections.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of replicate
Verb
  • Since then, the aquarium has done its best to minimize disruptions and emulate natural conditions for two clutches whose journey thus far has been anything but routine.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Cohen insists the joke was always on Ali G, not the Black culture the character was so desperately trying to emulate.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of emulate
Noun
  • Her rise has echoes of podcaster Ashley Flowers and blogger Jessica Red Krauss — media outsiders who tapped into deep veins of public interest.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Shortly after a scene in which their absent father speaks about them in narration, an echo from beyond the grave, three sisters – oldest Kyo, middle child Asumi and youngest Kino – learn of his death.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of echo
Verb
  • During the previous internal sprint, engineers used Codex to investigate findings, reproduce vulnerabilities in isolated environments, and prepare patches for review.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • APIs allow researchers to automate prompts, standardize experiments, collect responses and large volumes of data, as well as test models at scale, making results easier to compare and reproduce.
    — Katie McQue, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of reproduce

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Cite this Entry

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

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