copying

present participle of copy
1
as in reproducing
to make an exact likeness of for the movie, set designers copied the Oval Office in the White House down to the smallest detail

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in imitating
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior she shamelessly copies her idol's hairstyle and fashion choices

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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 copying There’s no denying that Lola Tung has impeccable style—I’m constantly referencing her fierce street style looks—so copying her accessory of choice feels like a safe move. Irene Richardson, InStyle, 27 June 2026 In June 2024, Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group sued the AI music services Suno and Udio, accusing them of copying sound recordings without permission to train their models. Maureen Kerr, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 The county is simply copying the city’s playbook toward a similar budget crisis. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2026 Determined to be seen as extraordinary, Elizabeth begins copying, stalking and impersonating Laura to try and win a Harvard spot for herself. Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 20 June 2026 Your boss may just end up copying your work outfit. Kelsey Stewart, Glamour, 17 June 2026 Until now, the law has been clear that agencies may generally only charge for copying costs (something that’s essentially unnecessary in this day of digital records). Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 16 June 2026 Alejo switches back to speakerphone and stays silent, copying the numbers Elizabeth is asking for from Flores’ enrollment paperwork in big block letters so Flores can read them aloud. Megan Greenwell, Bloomberg, 9 June 2026 Start copying Lopez below for as little as $20. Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copying
Verb
  • Facing long odds, Sydney commits to leading without reproducing the toxicity she’s witnessed from Carmy.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 25 June 2026
  • Weaving may be the world’s oldest way of reproducing information—and computing is poised to become its final one.
    Lua Vollaard, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • Some of the most notable moments show Atlas imitating human emotional reactions.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 June 2026
  • To celebrate, Gazza lay down on the grass and opened his mouth wide, imitating the dentist’s chair that had got him and his team-mates into so much bother a few weeks earlier.
    The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • This lack of competition has stunted the organizational capacity of both the Democratic and Republican Parties, rendering them hollow and unable to cultivate, train, or support a pipeline of young candidates.
    Peter Gosselin, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Officers found a victim suffering from a gunshot wound and immediately began rendering aid.
    Richard Ramos, CBS News, 28 June 2026
Verb
  • But beyond emulating his career, Daniel also wants to leave the kind of impact on others that his father has.
    Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 28 June 2026
  • In pursuit of achieving his dreams and emulating his hero Alberto Contador, Spain’s last Grand Tour champion, Ayuso has recently turned to self-help books.
    Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • The kestrel's stability doesn't come from any single trick but from all these mechanisms working together simultaneously – and replicating that in a lightweight, low-cost platform is the real challenge.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 July 2026
  • After some more tweaking and optimizing, the cell started growing and replicating its DNA.
    Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Family members also tend to compensate early, repeating themselves or raising the volume long before the person experiencing the loss admits there’s an issue.
    Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026
  • Rest, review, and notice what keeps repeating in your mind.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • Detroit still has Cade Cunningham, but duplicating last season will be tough.
    David Aldridge, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • Fiber-optic, first-person view (FPV) drones have become a key weapon in the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah’s war against Israel in recent months – bypassing Israel’s sophisticated defense systems by duplicating an asymmetric warfare tactic that first emerged in the Russia-Ukraine war.
    Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 28 June 2026

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“Copying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copying. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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