copy 1 of 2

noun

ˈkä-pē How to pronounce copy (audio)
Definition of copynext
as in reproduction
something that is made to look exactly like something else a copy of the famous painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

copy

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to reproduce
to make an exact likeness of for the movie, set designers copied the Oval Office in the White House down to the smallest detail

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 she shamelessly copies her idol's hairstyle and fashion choices

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun copy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of copy are duplicate, facsimile, replica, and reproduction. While all these words mean "a thing made to closely resemble another," copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically.

printed 1000 copies of the lithograph

When might duplicate be a better fit than copy?

While the synonyms duplicate and copy are close in meaning, duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing.

a duplicate of a house key

When would facsimile be a good substitute for copy?

The words facsimile and copy can be used in similar contexts, but 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 copy?

Although the words replica and copy have much in common, 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

In what contexts can reproduction take the place of copy?

The words reproduction and copy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 copy
Noun
Keep a copy of the original form and all correspondence with the issuer for your records, the agency said. — Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025 In addition to this rigorous first-person testing, our WWD Shop beauty editors have also conducted market research, read many a customer review, examined ingredient lists beyond marketing copy, and otherwise verified the legitimacy of the products’ claims. — Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
Other right-wing figures have copied the gesture in reference to Musk, including conservative political strategist Steve Bannon. — Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025 Elon Musk’s cost-cutting campaign has stoked fears about the data itself: that sensitive records might be mishandled, copied, leaked or lost. — Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for copy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copy
  1. reproduction
  2. reproduce
  3. imitate
  4. replica
  5. replicate
  6. emulate
  7. render
  8. repeat
Noun
  • While this research is an important first step, future research will need to expand these datasets, use satellite tracking to follow potential neonate movement, and explore whether other environmental factors, such as deep-sea features or seasonal cycles, play a role in whale shark reproduction.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The exhibition at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex through Saturday, April 19, features reproductions rather than original artworks.
    — Jonel Juste, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of reproduction
Verb
  • No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025
  • No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher, Cake Eater will be released Dec. 30 and is available now for preorder, wherever books are sold.
    — Rachel Raposas, People.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of reproduce
Verb
  • Munn shared that the motion is a fidget of Mulaney's that Malcolm has learned to imitate.
    — Hannah Sacks, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Younger narwhals also tended to imitate the behavior of older ones, indicating that social learning could influence how narwhals use their tusks, according to the study.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of imitate
Noun
  • One approach would be to ramp up artificial neural networks to the level of being an exact replica of a human brain.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Mark Rober, who has over 65 million subscribers on YouTube, tested the vehicle's autonomous cameras by driving at a screen with an exact replica of the road behind it, in the style of a Looney Tunes sketch.
    — David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of replica
Verb
  • The Knicks wanted to replicate the success Minnesota’s league-best defense found pairing Towns with a true defensive anchor in Rudy Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2025
  • This is the allure of an uncomplicated love, a dynamic that artificial companions seem poised to replicate.
    — Silvia Park, TIME, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of replicate
Verb
  • Sequences like the ambulance chase recall the heyday of Jerry Bruckheimer and Joel Silver movies, which Berk and Olsen tried to emulate while putting their own spin on the genre via the film’s unconventional protagonist.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2025
  • But if Barnes’s collection is a model to emulate, the saga of his organization is a lesson in founder’s-syndrome perils.
    — Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of emulate
Verb
  • Despite this frustrating flaw, the software can render a fairly accurate design for those who want an overhead landscape plan of their garden.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Private fears become public and Gaines sharply renders the stress of Clay’s twoness.
    — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of render
Verb
  • The sea of ardent fans answered his call to repeat his tagline, too.
    — Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Republican leaders’ adoption of talking points on Ukraine that repeat Russian disinformation is just one example of how abandoning values abroad threatens democracy at home.
    — Mark Sandy, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of repeat

Phrases Containing copy

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Cite this Entry

“Copy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copy. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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