duplicate 1 of 3

Definition of duplicatenext

duplicate

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noun

duplicate

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verb

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
Using unique identifiers attached to each arrestee, The Post excluded a number of apparent duplicate arrests from its analysis. Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026 More recently, initiatives such as Operation Janus and Operation Second Look have used data matching and record review to identify inconsistencies in immigration files, including cases involving duplicate identities, missing biometric data, or undisclosed prior removal orders. Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
Other names are probably duplicates, the government says, while some people may have gone off the grid voluntarily for personal reasons. Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026 Software engineer Alexey Grigorev recently watched an AI agent destroy his entire production database—wiping out years of course data after a setup error caused the system to delete the live environment instead of cleaning up duplicates. Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
Continue reading … FAMILY FAVORITE — Man duplicates his kids' fast-food meal of choice. FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026 By contrast, the all-new voice cast for Tales From ’85 is stuck trying to duplicate the performances that came before, though only Braxton Quinney, who plays Dustin, and sometimes Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, who plays Max, are true soundalikes. Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for duplicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duplicate
Adjective
  • Torres launched a shot in nearly the identical spot as Copeland for a two-run homer and Hagerty was on its way to Fort Myers.
    Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026
  • An identical memorial site was built in Yuba City in 2011 for the 35th anniversary.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026
Noun
  • Such pairings are one of Wilson’s strengths, his eye for portraiture matched by his skill for arranging images on the page.
    Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
  • The image doesn’t mean the basketball gods have already penciled Dybantsa into Brooklyn’s future.
    C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • That sort of flamboyant overstatement became central to Turner’s personal brand—and made for irresistible copy in the dailies.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 May 2026
  • In the second lab, the DNA is frozen until scientists make millions of copies so genetic sequencers can spell out all three billion letters of the embryo's genetic sequence.
    Rob Stein, NPR, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • And sure, animals such as starfish and flatworms can reproduce by cloning themselves—but at the end of the day, in most species, the survival of animals rests on their mothers.
    Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 10 May 2026
  • Previous studies investigated several of these features individually, but the new work attempts to reproduce the basin’s shape, crustal asymmetry, and impact direction within a single impact scenario.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 9 May 2026
Verb
  • Craig approaches music the same way, intentionally and with a personal touch geared towards the setting and people that Spotify algorithms can’t replicate.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
  • Reaching that conclusion required somehow replicating the harsh realities of Venus right here on Earth.
    Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 10 May 2026
Verb
  • The Broncos, though, drafted Coleman more for his ability to hit singles and doubles in an NFL offense.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 10 May 2026
  • The Braves got to Sheehan in the second inning when Michael Harris II led off with a single and Dominic Smith doubled with one out to put runners on second and third.
    Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
Adjective
  • Many of the precautions a traveler could take are similar to those that became familiar at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 8 May 2026
  • Nationally, campuses including Harvard, Duke and the University of Pennsylvania reported similar outages.
    Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • The registration desk was a replica of a ticket counter.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
  • Ticket holders who turn out for the early screenings will receive a free, limited-edition replica of the Dustin Hoffman bobblehead from the film, while supplies last.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Duplicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duplicate. Accessed 12 May. 2026.

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