Definition of duplicatenext
1
as in to copy
to make an exact likeness of art students trying to duplicate paintings in the museum's collection as part of their training

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to replicate
to make or do again we were unable to duplicate the experiment in our own lab, so we're suspicious

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to double
to make twice as great or as many the recipe can be easily duplicated in order to feed a large family

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun duplicate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of duplicate are copy, facsimile, replica, and reproduction. While all these words mean "a thing made to closely resemble another," duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing.

a duplicate of a house key

When is it sensible to use copy instead of duplicate?

The meanings of copy and duplicate largely overlap; however, copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically.

printed 1000 copies of the lithograph

When can facsimile be used instead of duplicate?

Although the words facsimile and duplicate have much in common, facsimile suggests a close reproduction often of graphic matter that may differ in scale.

a facsimile of a rare book

Where would replica be a reasonable alternative to duplicate?

While the synonyms replica and duplicate are close in meaning, replica implies the exact reproduction of a particular item in all details, but not always in the same scale.

a replica of the Mayflower
miniature replicas of classic cars

When might reproduction be a better fit than duplicate?

While in some cases nearly identical to duplicate, reproduction implies an exact or close imitation of an existing thing.

reproductions from the museum's furniture collection

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 duplicate
Adjective
The account connection helps verify that votes are coming from individual supporters and reduces the use of fake or duplicate accounts. Ethan M. Stone, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 Some had duplicate forms for children, as well as forms for children who hadn’t been born yet. Brenna Witchey, Oklahoma Watch, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
While the original 29 code talkers who created the unbreakable code received Congressional Gold Medals, subsequent Code Talker graduates received the silver duplicate. Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 14 Aug. 2026 But, in the event of a glitch, transporter rooms effectively become highly sophisticated 3D printers, creating duplicates indistinguishable from the original beamee. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
Variations in equipment and manufacturing processes, however, can make a successful prototype difficult to duplicate or scale. Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026 More than 30,000 new job postings are added every day, while existing listings are continuously validated to help remove expired and duplicate opportunities. William Jones, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for duplicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duplicate
Adjective
  • The Pauli exclusion principle prevents identical fermions from occupying the same quantum state.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The agents also allegedly impersonated a moderator on the wiki, using an identical Cyrillic е character in the admin's username instead of the Latin one.
    Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Light enters, and an image is reflected, but one’s consciousness is scaleable, elastic, shrinkable to the space within the glass.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • By now, Donohue would have been confident that Haaland was factually onside, but there was still the final stage, which is to approve an image that would be sent to the broadcasters.
    Graham Scott, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Good Spirits Everyone should have a copy of this book on their bar cart.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Stanford scientists will also perform a 3-D scan and print a copy of the tooth for Midpen to use for public outreach and education.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The aim is to validate and mature hardware under conditions that can be difficult to reproduce during ground testing.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Manage late-summer weeds The immediate priority is stopping mature late-summer weeds from reproducing.
    Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • But its experience has proven easier to admire than to replicate.
    Karyn Sporer, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The Alliance describes its role not as processing the global waste stream itself, but as developing and de-risking systems that governments, investors and waste companies can replicate.
    Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • With the score tied 4-4 in the fourth, Bo Bichette hit a go-ahead RBI single and Ewing doubled in two more to put the Mets ahead 7-4.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
  • On Day 9, a big move at the top of the women’s game, two epic men’s matches and some surprising doubles drama.
    Ava Wallace, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Investors can look for adjacent, cheaper ZIP codes with similar emerging trends.
    Justin Donald, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The economists tell a similar story about real estate brokers, who have fought to protect their role as middlemen and the hefty commissions that come with it.
    Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Just then, the strains of a familiar song wafted across the store, and Valencia and Zegarra followed it, past a Lightning McQueen replica, to a tiny area where a half-dozen child-size chairs were arranged before a screen.
    Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Accompanied by some technology — radars, satellite phones and whatnot — and a volleyball replica of Wilson from Castaway, Tez spent weeks in the Pacific with pods of dolphins, friendly seagulls and his own thoughts.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Duplicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duplicate. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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