as in imitators
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 copies
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 imitates
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
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Recent Examples of copycats
Jake Angelo, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
There are so many copycats, especially with this.
—Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2026
Concerns about the incident and possible copycats have spread across the area.
—John Dias, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, in the compounding market, the share of copycats for Novo's drug far outweighs that of Lilly's.
—Annika Kim Constantino,elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
The copycats in the lower leagues can’t rely on that, and the football has become distinctly more old-school, with many more headers per game than, say, five years ago.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
In the week following Shirley’s viral video, a host of copycats went out to day-care facilities around the country and posted their own videos.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
In addition to Lilli’s likeness, the contract also granted Marx the right to defend it from copycats.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
After all, would-be copycats are not the only observers.
—Jonathan Powell, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Noun
Some of those drones are actually copycats of Iran’s own autonomous Shahed drones.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
There are so many copycats, especially with this.
—Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2026
Concerns about the incident and possible copycats have spread across the area.
—John Dias, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, in the compounding market, the share of copycats for Novo's drug far outweighs that of Lilly's.
—Annika Kim Constantino,elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
The copycats in the lower leagues can’t rely on that, and the football has become distinctly more old-school, with many more headers per game than, say, five years ago.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
In the week following Shirley’s viral video, a host of copycats went out to day-care facilities around the country and posted their own videos.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
In addition to Lilli’s likeness, the contract also granted Marx the right to defend it from copycats.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
After all, would-be copycats are not the only observers.
—Jonathan Powell, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copycats
Noun
-
For decades, Gallup’s company and its imitators improved their techniques.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Along the way, the festival has outlasted many imitators and weathered shifting food trends by staying nimble.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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By practicing on a model that copies heart circulation and contraction, doctors can improve their technique for complex valve repairs before surgery.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
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From about 2011 to 2014, Gates emails Epstein directly, and often one of the pair copies Cohen or Nikolic.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Patagonia’s proprietary synthetic fill imitates down’s structure by spinning air-trapping microfilaments around a central fiber and requires fewer stabilizing seams and baffles than down.—
Kelly Bastone,
Outside,
10 Feb. 2026
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And, because life sometimes imitates art, Williams and Storrie are heading to the Olympics.—
Anna Zucca,
Vanity Fair,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Around the time the account hit 50,000 followers, Van der Velden announced that several talent agents were interested in representing Tilly.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Lighthouse Studios’ first major effort is a partnership with director and creator Cole Bennett’s Lyrical Lemonade digital media venture that has more than 24 million YouTube followers.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The nuance and presence that the Nova Elite's carbon fiber reproduces across the full frequency range are noticeably better than those of the Nova Pro Wireless, which already sounds great.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
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The installation reproduces local KGB archives on Stalin and facsimiles of historical artifacts of the 1960s placed around an AR reconstruction of Buddha in Nirvana, a forty-three-foot-long, 1,600-year-old clay statue of a reclining Buddha excavated in Tajikistan in the late ’60s.—
Anel Rakhimzhanova,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, anyone online can browse Epstein’s correspondence on Jmail, a site that emulates the experience of browsing his Gmail inbox.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Instead, the site recommends a homemade mixture consisting of four parts water to one part sugar, which emulates the amount of sugar naturally found in nectar.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Within this landmark, 225 rooms—including 13 singular train station suites—now serve as a design lover’s sanctuary where the echoes of steam engines meet a contemporary swing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Mar. 2026
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For some lawmakers, the vote on a war powers resolution carried echoes of past moments when Congress went on record in matters of war.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And another entire quilt replicates an ad for Pickaninny Brand produce.—
Susan DeGrane,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
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The cutting-edge technology replicates an authentic vintage look while opening up limitless creative possibilities—from natural 3D textures and effects to custom damages, lettering, and imagery.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Copycats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copycats. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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