copycats 1 of 2

plural of copycat
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

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copycats

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of copycat
1
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

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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 copycats
Noun
Many are blatant copycats of existing titles, seemingly intended to trick readers into buying them. Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 27 July 2026 Across the region, law enforcement officials are trying to head off copycats of the Newport event over concerns of possible theft, vandalism and violence. Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 Over the past year, a wave of Strategy copycats have stuffed public companies with crypto in a bid to lift their share prices, but that trade has largely lost steam. Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 6 July 2026 Billionaire Michael Saylor developed the playbook at his company, Strategy, which built a stockpile, exploded in value and spawned more than 200 copycats. Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 His pizza is, indeed, extraordinary, particularly the spicy Star Luca with ricotta filling its points, which launched any number of copycats. Connie Ogle june 30, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 Apollo’s early-2010s bet on its insurer Athene spawned a decade of copycats, and over the past few years most big alternative asset managers have either bought a life-insurance company or launched dedicated businesses to manage their money. Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 June 2026 The film spawned a host of copycats, but that's not surprising given its incredible success, including an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026 John Monaghan, also warning the sewer visitors and their potential copycats. David K. Li, NBC news, 2 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copycats
Noun
  • Boards can adopt it, investors can ask for it, cities can condition incentives on it, and the companies with the best results have the most to gain from standards, because standards are how leaders get distinguished from imitators.
    Tonya M. Evans, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • But the arrival of Buc-ee's supercharged the trend and spawned imitators like Wally's, which has three 50,000-square-foot locations in the Midwest, with plans for more.
    Kevin Williams, CNBC, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Still, those details deserve more attention when a new site also copies campaign branding or asks for money.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
  • This rapid method copies the parasite’s genetic material until there’s enough to detect, rather than trying to grow the organism.
    Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Verb
  • Sometimes life imitates art, but other times, art imitates life.
    Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
  • The undulating roofline imitates the Allegheny Mountains, and 38 steel columns create a canopy reminiscent of the region's forests, Prix Versailles says.
    Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • The Shapiros were accused by some followers of bringing Kala into their family for financial gain.
    Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • In The Bacchae, Dionysus becomes violent only because his existence has been denied and his followers persecuted, and his maenads similarly become destructive only when pursued.
    Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • Balsam Hill achieves the life-like branches using its signature True Needle technology that reproduces the texture and shade variation found on natural trees.
    Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026
  • The jumping cholla is a cactus that reproduces via the spread of clones.
    Philip Anderson, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • Like many performance EVs attempting to address the absence of combustion-engine noise, Genesis has also developed a bespoke electric Active Sound Design system to create a soundtrack that emulates an ICE vehicle.
    Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • Virgin with Codex emulates the original painting’s translucent hair.
    Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 20 May 2026
Noun
  • While not immune to echoes, most people are chatting about the lineup of Czech cheeses, cured meats, and breads on offer.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • There’s rarely anything as straightforward as a kick drum, a hi-hat, or even a bassline here; instead, everything is smeared, all origins occulted in a thicket of echoes and reflections.
    Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • For the first three days of practice Miami’s had lengthy special teams and individual unit periods, and then 40-plus minutes of 11-on-11 work, which replicates game-like situations.
    Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • But what most frustrates her is that Calder’s portrayal of Millennial ennui and directionlessness takes those qualities at face value and, in doing so, replicates them.
    Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026

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“Copycats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copycats. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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