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
Because duplicate or altered titles can slip through. Mahsa Saeidi, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026 Being saddled with inadequate accounting software leads to incomplete data, reporting errors, compliance issues, duplicate records, and, eventually, the headache of moving to an entirely new platform. Dana Miranda, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
The election is taking place after a sweeping revision of electoral rolls by the Election Commission of India aimed at removing duplicate, deceased and ineligible voters. ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026 Of the more than 100 habeas petitions that have already been closed this year, a federal judge rejected only one, The Post found, while a few dozen more were duplicates or were dismissed voluntarily. Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
According to an internal memo to employees Tuesday, the segmentation of employees often led to duplicate or redundant work, with different teams working on similar projects. Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 15 May 2026 Interpretive guidance from attorneys general and relevant agencies comes first, as Attorney General Tong’s Connecticut advisory and Attorney General Campbell’s earlier Massachusetts advisory demonstrate, doing the threshold work that a substantial share of state AI legislation otherwise duplicates. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for duplicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duplicate
Adjective
  • According to the trial findings, outcomes among lower-risk patients were nearly identical regardless of whether chemotherapy was used.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026
  • With 25 points for a win, that means Russell could soon be two whole race wins behind his young in-house rival; never a comfortable spot when competing against someone with identical equipment.
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • Eastern Ukraine — There is a whirr, a flurry of dust, a pause as the grainy image recalibrates, and then a devastating blast.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
  • This new image uses data from the Sentinel-3 mission to show in vibrant color just how extreme and far-reaching this heat has been.
    Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • Cloud platforms provide services from microtasks like data labelling to freelance design and copy-editing.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
  • In the row behind him was Jameson’s favorite masked menace, reading a copy of the Daily Bugle.
    Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • Even when robots resemble people and can reproduce human-like behaviors, young children may not automatically attribute the same intentions, knowledge, or communicative value to them.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 1 June 2026
  • But cultural legitimacy is considerably harder to reproduce.
    Esade Business & Law School, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • Cantina Leon, from The Rabbit Group LLC, is now open at The Plaza, with an eye toward replicating the community-first feeling of (no surprise here) the lively cantinas of Mexico.
    Connie Ogle May 31, Miami Herald, 31 May 2026
  • Those qualities can be diluted when they are replicated across thousands of stores and millions of consumers.
    Esade Business & Law School, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • But the ball was caught and the runner on second strayed off the bag and was doubled off to end the game.
    John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
  • Junior Caminero doubled in the third inning, when his pop-up dodged the Tropicana Field catwalks before landing in the infield.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
Adjective
  • This veto aligns with Polis’ veto of a similar bill last year that featured a 48-hour warrant compliance requirement and stricter self-policing by the platforms.
    Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
  • My yoga jacket looks just like this one, with a similar standup collar and zipper pockets.
    Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • In Nigerian churches, fans hoisted aloft replica trophies at thanksgiving prayer services.
    Lauren Frayer, NPR, 29 May 2026
  • Officers detained many of the people in the fight after chasing them down and later found the replica Glock gun, police said.
    Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 29 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Duplicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duplicate. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.

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