as in imitator
a person who adopts the appearance or behavior of another especially in an obvious way
every rock singer who makes it big soon has a whole cluster of copycats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to copy
to make an exact likeness of
asked her stylist to copycat a hairstyle from the magazine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to imitate
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior
a performer who slavishly copycats another never rises to the level of true stardom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of copycat
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2025
Local competitors can exploit regulatory loopholes, cultural differences and bureaucratic delays to their advantage, sometimes operating copycat businesses for years before any meaningful legal recourse is available.
—Mohaimina Haque, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Michael M. Dewitt, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2021
Its new twist on phishing alerts, though, could give it and copycat criminal hackers one more edge in a fight that’s already unfair.
—Brian Barrett, Wired, 14 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for copycat
Noun
Richard Reid will be locked in a Colorado supermax prison for the rest of his life, with not a single copycat to his name.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2025
Local competitors can exploit regulatory loopholes, cultural differences and bureaucratic delays to their advantage, sometimes operating copycat businesses for years before any meaningful legal recourse is available.
—Mohaimina Haque, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Verb
Park mentioned the case of the Boston Marathon Bomber, in which social media led to misidentification of suspects, and possibly to copycat cases.
—Michael M. Dewitt, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2021
Its new twist on phishing alerts, though, could give it and copycat criminal hackers one more edge in a fight that’s already unfair.
—Brian Barrett, Wired, 14 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for copycat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copycat
Verb
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But its decision to copy a Chinese artificial intelligence lab in 2025 in an effort to compete with OpenAI backfired, forcing the company to overhaul its AI strategy.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
29 July 2025
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Silent Crow, one of the groups, said on Telegram that its members copied the airline's entire database of flight history, audio recordings, internal calls, and surveillance data.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Perhaps the Lake Bluff streakers heard of those at CLC and wanted to imitate them.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
23 July 2025
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The park’s hub-and-spoke design has been copied by parks around the world, but the caliber of Disneyland’s craftsmanship wasn’t easily imitated.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
18 July 2025
Noun
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The social media star and stand-up comedian, who rose to fame on TikTok during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic for his comedic approach to being laid off from his job, is constantly sharing updates and snippets from his life with his followers on all platforms — including his national tour.—
Maya Pow,
People.com,
30 July 2025
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There was support from social media influencers with Evan Tanaka (327K followers) creating his own commercial: Snapple launched packaging inspired by each of the heroes.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
30 July 2025
Verb
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Travel becomes a proxy for visibility, mentorship, exposure, and accelerated development—all of which are things that no Zoom call can replicate.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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Learn from three expert instructors how to showcase your skills, build a stellar reputation, and create a digital presence that AI can’t replicate.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Another consideration is insulation: Lots of it, easily twice the code minimum, to emulate the thick walls of a mudbrick hut and slow heat transfer.—
Sam Bloch,
Time,
28 July 2025
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Run by Bushwick locals and brothers Max and Spencer Nelson and friend Jordan Dubey, the pizzeria aims to emulate your favorite dive bar, but with better food.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Thirty-six years later, the echoes of that mayoral race are hard to ignore.—
Jonathan Mahler,
Curbed,
1 Aug. 2025
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With echoes of Orwell’s classic novel, 1984, the film illustrates the power of truth-twisting doublethink of media and government in totalitarian regimes.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
31 July 2025
Verb
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The disease is considered a highly invasive tumor in the central nervous system because its cells reproduce extremely quickly.—
Vanessa Etienne,
People.com,
23 July 2025
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With wild pigs reproducing rapidly and damaging both crops and ecosystems, researchers say more action is needed at the policy level.—
Vanessa Countryman,
USA Today,
22 July 2025
Verb
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While many dogs love playing with any ball, as the chase and catch mimics their hunting instincts, the color and texture of a tennis ball specifically capture a canine's attention, according to Rover.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025
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To simulate the harshest conditions, Gore’s environmental chamber can mimic nearly any condition on the globe, such as rain rates up to 22 inches per hour, hurricane-level windspeeds and relative humidity.—
Tim Newcomb,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Copycat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copycat. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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