duplicate 1 of 3

duplicate

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noun

duplicate

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verb

1
as in to copy
to make an exact likeness of art students trying to duplicate paintings in the museum's collection as part of their training

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to replicate
to make or do again we were unable to duplicate the experiment in our own lab, so we're suspicious

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to double
to make twice as great or as many the recipe can be easily duplicated in order to feed a large family

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun duplicate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of duplicate are copy, facsimile, replica, and reproduction. While all these words mean "a thing made to closely resemble another," duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing.

a duplicate of a house key

When is it sensible to use copy instead of duplicate?

The meanings of copy and duplicate largely overlap; however, copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically.

printed 1000 copies of the lithograph

When can facsimile be used instead of duplicate?

Although the words facsimile and duplicate have much in common, 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 duplicate?

While the synonyms replica and duplicate are close in meaning, 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

When might reproduction be a better fit than duplicate?

While in some cases nearly identical to duplicate, reproduction implies an exact or close imitation of an existing thing.

reproductions from the museum's furniture collection

Examples 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 duplicate
Adjective
Reasons for a denial include: a duplicate application, not meeting eligibility criteria and the sale falling through. Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 23 Oct. 2024 Neanderthals and Denisovans, early human relatives, also had duplicate AMY1 genes. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024
Noun
Case in point: When drivers licensed before 1996 lost their licenses and got duplicates later, the system updated the issuance date. Jeremy Duda, Axios, 21 Sep. 2024 My Clutter is the fifth stage of Smart Care which identifies and removes unnecessary duplicates and similar files, freeing up storage space to make things more organized and efficient. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
Promoting to Starter from the Item Detail View no longer duplicates the player's name on the screen. Brian Mazique, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 The study revealed these genes duplicated long before the advent of agriculture. Katie Hunt, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for duplicate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duplicate
Adjective
  • In 2022, the state governor’s race map was virtually identical.
    Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 9 Nov. 2024
  • Cytochrome c oxidase is a gene sequence critical enough to be conserved and nearly identical across individuals, but slight variations mean the gene can be used to easily distinguish between species.
    Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • An expanding black circle marks the spread of polar night in the Arctic in this animation of images acquired by the NOAA-20 satellite between Sept. 4 and Nov. 7.
    Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Governor’s Veto The website for Kingstree depicts idyllic images of small-town life, with white people sitting on a porch swing, kayaking on a river, eating ice cream, and strolling with their dogs.
    Kff Health News, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Productivity & Content Creation Tests Our Mac testing isn't an exact copy of our Windows testing protocols, due to the differences in operating system, chip architecture, and software catalog.
    Brian Westover, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
  • However, the credit-reporting companies allow consumers to get free copies of their credit report weekly.
    Marin Independent Journal, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • This material is not to be reproduced or redistributed absent the written consent of Fairlead Strategies.
    Katie Stockton, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024
  • The Infinite Monkey Theorem is a famous thought experiment that states that a monkey pressing random keys on a typewriter would eventually reproduce the works of the Bard if given an infinite amount of time and/or if there were an infinite number of monkeys.
    Amarachi Orie, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The Google researchers wanted to see if measurements taken from receivers in Android phones could essentially replicate the ionosphere mapping that occurs in more advanced monitoring stations.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Cruz's Democratic opponent, buoyed by significant grassroots support and fundraising, is aiming to replicate the near-upset seen in Cruz's 2018 re-election bid against O'Rourke, where Cruz won by only 2.6 percentage points.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Unlike its first attempt, the gimmicky Dyson Zone (headphones that double as a wearable air purifier), this time around Dyson is focused strictly on audio.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
  • This personal wine glass chiller keeps spirits at a refreshing temperature and doubles as a coaster.
    Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Eventually our list reaches more than a dozen more victims, nearly all with similar experiences, most of them bursting with a desire to talk.
    Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
  • And because the two isolated genes are found in many other plant species, similar genetic editing may help improve other agricultural staples in the future.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • In the Blue Room, visitors are invited to touch a replica of the French Bellangé antique furniture trim and upholstery, as well as replicas of marble busts, per CNN’s Betsy Klein.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2024
  • The Double Trouble Buck The Double Trouble Buck replica isn’t from a buck that was harvested or even found dead.
    Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 31 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near duplicate

Cite this Entry

“Duplicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duplicate. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on duplicate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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