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
  • Deafheaven broke the mold by introducing blinding light to rock music’s darkest corner, but after wave upon wave of imitators, the only subversion left is to blot out the sun.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Someone else copies them for free and undercuts their pricing before the training run has even paid back.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Over the past few years, a consistent complaint from Western developers and the White House has been that Chinese developers have copied their tech.
    — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The museum brought a tremendous wow factor that cities around the world were soon clamoring to imitate.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI denied intentionally imitating Johansson’s voice and later withdrew the feature.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • First was comic and content creator, George Brett Olson, who did a breakdown (watch it below) accusing an AI Instagram account with 300,000 followers of seemingly ripped off his joke word for word.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Other followers focused on the actress's return to television.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The tailoring brand was founded in Osaka in 1954 and got its start replicating Ivy League style.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The crisp exterior and savory undertone are hard to replicate with vegetable oil, and anyone who tries a side-by-side notices immediately.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Chanel, Dior, Toteme, and Khaite spun the historically casual pants into something quite elegant, inspiring me to find ways to emulate the look in my own daily life this season.
    — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Those prompts and responses then become training data for the student, usually through a process called supervised fine-tuning, which treats the teacher’s answers as targets the student should try to emulate.
    — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • While many of the Middle East’s archaeological sites invoke pharaohs, Nabataeans, Romans, Islamic civilization, and Crusaders, the columns of Al-Rajajil are an echo of a prehistoric period wrapped in mystery.
    — Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The echoes of this resonant throughout the ages and the vibrations from such are more relevant than ever.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Made using flexible materials, the model reproduced important features of the natural stinger’s pumping cycle, helping confirm how the valves deform and squeeze past each other.
    — Mike McRae October 12, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026
  • That would reproduce the operating model companies are trying to improve.
    — Jason Wojahn, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Copycat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copycat. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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