copycat 1 of 2

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

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copycat

2 of 2

verb

1
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

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 copycat
Noun
The bottom line: It's become common practice for social media companies to copy or iterate on new features from rival apps, but for most creators and users, TikTok copycats still aren't as good. Sara Fischer, Axios, 20 Jan. 2025 The drivers in the two car attacks were sentenced to death late last month, in unusually speedy trials that showed the government’s determination to crack down on possible copycats. Vivian Wang, New York Times, 16 Jan. 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
  • Safety researchers, meanwhile, showed for the first time that the latest generation of AI models can try to deceive their creators, and copy themselves, in an attempt to avoid modification.
    Billy Perrigo/Paris, TIME, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Not to be redistributed, copied, or modified in any way.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 10 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • For example, a light lavender lining peeks out from underneath the tool of the Rapunzel dress, which can be paired with a long, dramatic boa to imitate her lustrous mane.
    Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Between the lines: The BRT experience aims to imitate the experience of a subway or train.
    Andrew King, Axios, 10 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • For the past few days, West has spewed virulently antisemitic, homophobic and misogynistic hate speech via his X account to his more than 32 million followers.
    Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025
  • The marketing stunt involves Duolingo's account on Twitter/X, which has over 930,000 followers.
    Michael Kan, PCMAG, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • In this study, hatchling loggerheads from a North Carolina beach were taken back to the laboratory and kept in aquarium tanks with separate magnetic fields replicating actual magnetic signatures in two ocean locations.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
  • After the fair, the Small World ride was moved to Disneyland and eventually replicated at other Disney theme parks around the world.
    Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • In the show, Belle emulates blogger Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey), who found brief success treating her (real) cancer naturally.
    Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
  • The entire team wears Nike Sabrina 2s, a specific shoe the seniors selected to emulate WNBA All-Star Sabrina Ionescu and provide team unity.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The misguided focus on containment is a belated echo of the nuclear age, when the United States and others limited the spread of atomic bombs by restricting access to enriched uranium, by keeping an eye on what certain scientists were doing and by sending inspectors into labs and military bases.
    Zeynep Tufekci, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2025
  • The film’s score is, by turns, delicate and bold, flowing and discordant, unrepentantly experimental, and an echo of the grandeur of Hollywood.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • This article originally appeared in Spektrum der Wissenschaft and was reproduced with permission.
    Christiane Gelitz, Scientific American, 7 Feb. 2025
  • The research will help scientists learn more about how marsupial embryos grow because the class reproduces differently compared to other mammals.
    Astha Rajvanshi, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The edges of the cutout were left raw, mimicking the idea that the jacket had been unintentionally cut as opposed to being designed that way.
    Mikelle Street, WWD, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Mars exploration may take a profound toll on the psyche: the crew slept in tiny, windowless rooms, had minimal interaction with outsiders, and often spent several hours a day outside in the cold, carrying forty-pound packs to mimic scientific excursions.
    Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near copycat

Cite this Entry

“Copycat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copycat. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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