duplicate 1 of 3

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
The Post removed several apparent duplicate arrests and a similarly small number of arrests in the region that did not have a specific location listed. Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025 These are uncategorized and have included duplicate emails. Matthew J. Friedman, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
Our review of these records suggests these types of duplicates are uncommon. Pratheek Rebala, ProPublica, 21 Aug. 2025 Some of the products Lululemon says Costco is making duplicates of include its popular Scuba hoodies, Define jackets, and ABC pants. Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 July 2025
Verb
Yamamoto might indeed get that shot to duplicate Hershiser in Game 6 – if the series goes that far. Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 26 Oct. 2025 Perplexity’s video disappoints with a watering can that appears out of thin air, for example, while Veo’s video duplicates its cutting board. PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for duplicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duplicate
Adjective
  • That being said, the Consumer Price Index has followed an almost identical trajectory from Q420 to the most recent figures, meaning spending is merely in line with inflation.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
  • In the 1980s and ’90s, Colombia’s cocaine cartels controlled entire regions through intimidation, corruption and fear tactics that are nearly identical to what’s now unfolding in parts of Mexico.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Other companies, such as BlackSky and Maxar, are providing their own electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) imagery—that is, images in the visible and infrared light spectrums—commercially.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Cinemark will also upgrade its remaining 12 Imax screens to Imax with Laser, a 4K laser projection system developed to deliver the clearest images and best audio through proprietary technology.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • With this imagery, a terrain map can be generated for use by urban planners, or a soldier can print a copy of an image and share it with foreign mission partners on the battlefield.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • But when Ronnie set the theater's copy of The Music Man in motion on the projector, Matty appeared on screen holding what looked like a baby swaddled in a blanket.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means.
    Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • To recreate an extinct species exactly, evolution would have to reproduce not just its traits but its entire genetic code — an impossibly specific combination.
    Big Think, Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • My introductory archaeology students try their hand at experimental archaeology by attempting to replicate a prehistoric bone awl (piercing tool).
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 28 Oct. 2025
  • That phrase had replicated itself across web domains, YouTube channels, Twitter (now X) accounts, Facebook pages and WhatsApp groups.
    Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Dodgers superstar is 4-for-4 with two doubles thus far in World Series Game 3.
    Valentina Martinez, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
  • From April 2019 to April 2020, the major delivery apps’ sales more than doubled.
    Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • While its initial focus was cross-border payments, Zhang said the company’s revenue is now spread over an array of products, with business accounts similar to Mercury comprising 34% of its revenue, spend management 20%, and payments 30%.
    Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Though the Maldives is the first country to enact such a ban, similar proposals have been debated – and nearly imposed – in other parts of the world.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Having discovered a scarecrow dummy — an exact-looking replica of her costume — stashed in Sharon’s garage, a quick fingerprint dusting revealed a clear fingerprint from the kid who was on her porch at the time of Beryl’s murder.
    Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
  • President Lee Jae Myung gave Trump a replica of a golden crown significant to Korea's history.
    Deepa Shivaram, NPR, 31 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Duplicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duplicate. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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