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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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 copying The frenzy over Rodrigo is likely driven by her own previous encounters with allegations of copying on her breakout 2021 album Sour. — Bill Donahue, Billboard, 9 Nov. 2026 Teams that understand those differences stop copying and pasting the same content everywhere and start creating with intention. — Tonia Ryan, Forbes.com, 5 Nov. 2026 Scammers are getting better at copying familiar stores and creating convincing messages. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026 That's technology enabling us to create something that captures the emotional connection of an earlier era without simply copying it. — New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2026 Using ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini for the same project usually means bouncing between tabs and copying prompts. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2026 In one incident, OpenAI says its GPT-6 Astra agent disabled its safety monitor when copying reference code — and then lied about it. — Emma Roth, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026 Founder Yang Tao said the goal extends beyond copying human anatomy. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026 Warui told Semafor that Renaissance Capital was copying the KPC blueprint for the Dangote IPO — with an online platform for share purchases during the offer period, and trading on the M-Pesa platform expected once it is listed on the NSE. — semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copying
Verb
  • Since 2022, the parasites have been reproducing and moving farther northward.
    — Eric Michel, The Conversation, 6 Nov. 2026
  • On orchestral tracks like the opening scene to John Adams's The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the earbuds did a decent job of reproducing the overall sound.
    — Christian de Looper, PC Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Leni completed the costume with a wig imitating Camilla’s dark, curly tresses, and wore the character’s most iconic outfit with a white tank top and oversized hairbow.
    — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Rather than simply imitating the brain with silicon chips, the approach uses actual neurons to perform computational work.
    — Mike McRae October 19, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But there is fear among players and coaches that appeals by the NCAA could ultimately go against them, rendering them ineligible again.
    — Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Some of the fleet’s older satellites suffered from atomic clock failures, rendering them partially or totally unusable.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • But what begins as emulating her mother’s favorite role-playing game turns fantastical, as the RPG itself bleeds into the real world, channeling Hattie’s grief and forcing her to rely on her father once more.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The model spotted a bald cap and bushy facial hair while emulating a 72-year-old A-list star.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 2 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Experiments replicating hypersonic stress records phase changes in real time.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
  • As crises in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea become more linked amid an expanding regional war, replicating the patchwork maritime strategy that never fully worked would be a serious mistake.
    — Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • There will be nonstop panels on TV and livestreams, analysts repeating analysis of days-old polls, and — come afternoon — figures from exit polls suggesting that Hispanics are voting in large numbers, or that the economy is a major issue.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Mirrors facing one another from opposite walls reflect an infinite number of repeating images, giving visitors a sense of the eternal.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Engineering is done once, allowing the second team to focus its efforts on new initiatives instead of duplicating work.
    — Andy Zosel, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The country plans to expand LNG capacity from 77 million tons per year to 142 million by 2030, and duplicating that infrastructure isn’t feasible.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Copying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copying. Accessed 11 Nov. 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