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
Customer records from the two legacy systems were never fully reconciled—some accounts carry duplicate IDs, others have mismatched address and usage histories. — Olufunsho Peters, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Finally, under Performance, the photo cleaner offered to free up storage space by deleting duplicate photos and photos that, while not exact duplicates, are very similar. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
Another 258 entries were duplicates, with the same unauthorized videos reported multiple times. — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 Finally, under Performance, the photo cleaner offered to free up storage space by deleting duplicate photos and photos that, while not exact duplicates, are very similar. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
Information was duplicated across five or six locations, sometimes appearing in slightly different configurations. — Megan Molteni, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026 Foster care leaders said the program duplicated existing services. — Justin Garcia, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for duplicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duplicate
Adjective
  • Last year, an investigation by Consumer Reports, Groundwork Collaborative and More Perfect Union found that shoppers on Instacart were shown different prices for identical products at the same stores.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • To test their hypothesis, the team set up their system in one of three identical chicken houses at the same commercial chicken farm in Sakarya.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The team sought to identify an anomaly first seen in satellite images in 2020.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The damage and disruption could also affect France’s image as a tourist destination in the long-term.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Researchers at the company tested how AI models might act as computer worms, programs that move between devices and leave copies of themselves behind, among everyday household gadgets.
    — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The Miami Herald was unsuccessful in reaching Dorworth, but did reach his former attorney who asked for a copy of the lawsuit.
    — Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That leaves open the distinction between recreating the behavior of an Atari 800XL through modern software and reproducing the original hardware more directly.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Beginning in the 1990s, researchers tested whether adding iron to seawater could reproduce some of that effect.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Researchers at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed a robotic arm that replicates aspects of human touch perception.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Others could imitate but never replicate; their coolness was predicated on their originality.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The web, which started a little bit late, has already doubled year-over-year, in just a year and a half.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The van then doubles as a roaming office space for digital nomads or commercial use.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Recent court cases have used similar arguments, framing social media to judges and jurors as defective products causing children harm.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Then-first lady Jill Biden pursued similar efforts to jump-start women's health research, and Biden officials in November 2023 launched their own White House effort intended to coordinate a cross-government response to boost women's health.
    — Dan Diamond, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The Southern Alps are an almost exact replica of the Himalayas in terms of their lot formations and crevasse fields, according to Hiddleston.
    — Tamara Southward, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The trio also talked about building a replica of the Young statue, which would be placed in the Renaissance Center once it is revamped.
    — Carol Cain, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Duplicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duplicate. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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