copycat 1 of 2

noun

ˈkä-pē-ˌkat How to pronounce copycat (audio)
Definition of copycatnext
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

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copycat

2 of 2

verb

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

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
His pizza is, indeed, extraordinary, particularly the spicy Star Luca with ricotta filling its points, which launched any number of copycats. — Connie Ogle june 30, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 The film was effectively banned from being screened and advertised in Boll's home country, where it was produced, out of concern that its extreme depictions of anti-immigrant violence may inspire copycat attacks. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 June 2026
Verb
And neither of us was that interested in trying to copycat any of the production elements of their songs, anyway. — Vulture, 18 May 2022 And that applies to fashion design, decor, and even to the travel industry, where there’s a real tendency to copycat successful ideas. — Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 20 Jan. 2023 See All Example Sentences for copycat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copycat
  1. imitator
  2. copy
  3. imitate
  4. follower
  5. replicate
  6. emulate
  7. echo
  8. reproduce
Noun
  • But the arrival of Buc-ee's supercharged the trend and spawned imitators like Wally's, which has three 50,000-square-foot locations in the Midwest, with plans for more.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 2 July 2026
  • The frontier labs keep shipping the next capability while the imitators are still training on the last one, and the value keeps accruing to whoever is ahead rather than to whoever copied the leader's previous answers.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of imitator
Verb
  • The system for copying parts of the genome into RNA for protein production comes from a virus called T7.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
  • Her own granddaughter's baptism dress included embroideries copied from that dress.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026
Definition of copy
Verb
  • Here was a government that had explicitly borrowed from Beijing’s developmental playbook and sincerely attempted to imitate it, but failed.
    — Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • These are glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists that imitate a natural hormone in the gut.
    — Stephanie Stephens, USA Today, 26 June 2026
Definition of imitate
Noun
  • The mom of two shares videos and photos of her fashion creations and her daughters wearing them with over 29,000 TikTok followers.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • In 1776, the year the Declaration of Independence was signed, Quakers made a formal stance against slavery, prohibiting followers of the faith from engaging in the institution.
    — Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of follower
Verb
  • Yet many could still replicate portions of its economic evolution by broadening participation, encouraging private enterprise, welcoming additional foreign investors, and leveraging competition among outside powers to secure more favorable outcomes.
    — Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • After some more tweaking and optimizing, the cell started growing and replicating its DNA.
    — Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 1 July 2026
Definition of replicate
Verb
  • After the season ended, Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka cited Mitchell’s progression between the guard’s first and second years as a model for player development the Lakers wanted to emulate.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • After the United States was founded in 1776, leaders like Thomas Jefferson chose to emulate classical architecture when building its Washington, DC, capital as a nod to the democratic ideals of the Greek and Roman empires.
    — Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 4 July 2026
Definition of emulate
Noun
  • The rural storytelling and fiddle music on the frontier inspired the emergence and growth of commercial country music and bluegrass music, while echoes of acoustic blues and protest songs can be heard in modern R&B and hip-hop.
    — Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
  • These trades also feel like a bizarro echo of a deal by previous Canucks management almost exactly one year ago.
    — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of echo
Verb
  • Unlike conventional gaming headsets that primarily separate audio into left and right channels, Spherephones reproduces sound from above, below, behind, and in front of the user.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026
  • As for one of the franchise's other biggest mysteries — how the characters reproduce — Coffin has a simple answer.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of reproduce

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Cite this Entry

“Copycat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copycat. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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