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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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
Founded in 1985, this group of seven savvy string pluckers is the world’s first such assemblage and has been the inspiration for all manner of copycat ensembles ever since. Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026 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
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
  • And these are now increasingly fragile as a result of global unrest, climate change and a host of imitators.
    Rebekah Evans, TheWeek, 19 May 2026
  • The dish everyone comes for is the spicy rigatoni vodka, a plate that’s launched a thousand imitators across the country.
    Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • The maybe-2028 presidential hopeful went on to boast that other states like New York are looking to copy a law California passed last year that regulates large language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot.
    Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
  • Mouth Inflammation The cells in your body need B12 to copy their DNA correctly.
    Brandi Jones, Health, 19 May 2026
Verb
  • Researchers will wear sensors while carrying out laboratory tasks, allowing the system to capture movements, workflows, and decision-making patterns that robots can later imitate.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 May 2026
  • What makes the campaign especially convincing is that each stage imitates familiar Apple, Google or Microsoft software behavior many Mac users already trust and routinely encounter.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • Online, this generally meant that creators encouraged their followers to pair a healthy habit with a fun or existing one (scrolling while walking on the treadmill, for example) or to just link two good behaviors together (folding laundry between breaks of your at-home workout).
    Julia Landwehr, Health, 18 May 2026
  • With more than four million followers and billions of views across platforms, Garg has built a global fanbase through her sharp, deeply relatable observations on family, culture, and modern life.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • Back to my Taylor Sheirdan example, none of those wannabe Yellowstone shows have been as good, because his unique voice can’t be replicated.
    Derek Lawrence, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
  • That decision — to rebuild rather than replicate — is the real story of what separates the companies pulling ahead with AI from the ones that aren’t.
    Dennis Woodside, Fortune, 17 May 2026
Verb
  • Her own of-the-moment style was something that many Ron Herman shoppers sought to emulate.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 19 May 2026
  • His biggest achievement at City has been winning the Premier League-Champions League-FA Cup treble in the 2022-23 season, emulating the feat of Manchester United in 1999.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 May 2026
Noun
  • The incident — with a few uncomfortable echoes of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic — has sparked concerns and questions.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
  • Viewers can expect this tale of neocolonialism with echoes of #MeToo to leave a sour taste in their mouths.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • According to the specs, the Spectra 6 can reproduce up to 60,000 colors with better saturation and contrast than any previous e-ink tech.
    Joe Salas May 17, New Atlas, 17 May 2026
  • The moisture can create a perfect haven, if bacteria is present, to reproduce when the baked potato cools down while wrapped in foil and hits a temperature of 135 F to 41 F.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 16 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Copycat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copycat. Accessed 24 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster