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
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
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
There are so many delicious elements to this copycat chicken recipe.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 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
But neither the farm bill, nor Indiana's copycat law, specifically mentioned cannabanoid variations Delta 8 and Delta 10.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
There are so many delicious elements to this copycat chicken recipe.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 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
-
Cartoon by Bruce Eric Kaplan Copy link to cartoon Copy link to cartoon Link copied Shop Shop Michael told me that his team was required to attempt to verify each target: examining video footage from drones, listening to telephone conversations.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
Lively’s team was also directed to make accommodations for Baldoni’s lawyers to print and copy documents.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Perhaps the Lake Bluff streakers heard of those at CLC and wanted to imitate them.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
23 July 2025
-
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
-
In 2023, Angel Reese’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) valuation jumped during the week of the Final Four, alongside a spike in her follower count.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
Still, the timing of the post and decision to highlight that bar in particular has Bey fans hitting Nicki and her followers with the side-eye.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
In an era where ideas and initiatives are easily replicated, speed and continuous refinement have become essential competitive advantages.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
-
Mamdani’s success is certainly about his prodigious gifts as a politician, but those aren’t easily replicated.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
18 July 2025
Verb
-
The luxury real estate development was designed to emulate the City of Lights, featuring its own Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, and a 354-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower.—
Celia Fernandez,
CNBC,
13 July 2025
-
While these days a voice recognition computer often listens to the trainees’ commands and reacts to them in real time, the FAA also hires people to operate as pilots on the other end of the radio to better emulate real-life situations.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
The returning echoes are instantly analyzed by onboard AI to distinguish between debris, rocks, and soft tissue which would likely indicate a human body.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 July 2025
-
The plot is organized around events that repeat: the murders; the reunion of the central characters; the uncanny echo among historical events like Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Fukushima.—
Katie Kitamura,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Artificial tears and lubricants, which are sold over the counter in a variety of brands, mimic your own tears and help rewet the eyes.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
21 July 2025
-
Typically, very young children are the ones who are most excited to mimic their parents and lend a hand with laundry.—
Christine Carrig,
The Atlantic,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Copycat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copycat. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share