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

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 duplicate
Adjective
After duplicate names are culled, the jury administrator employs a randomizing algorithm to generate the summonses. Harry Weller, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2025 By Friday morning, the original post that first circulated the video had been removed, but duplicate versions continued to spread widely. Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
When one version of Mickey dies, a duplicate is created to replace him that retains most of his memories. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025 Fix those messy duplicates, prune the unused fields, and resolve to keep your data fit for purpose. Sarah Elk, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
Stop looking to duplicate the best of this world and look beyond. Simone Milasas, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 If Florida were to pass more changes, other states could look to duplicate it. Romy Ellenbogen, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for duplicate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duplicate
Adjective
  • Artificial intelligence manages a warehouse, identical rows of burgers are flipped, and robots glide through factories.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
  • Manchester City has enjoyed an identical win rate in the Premier League.
    Jeff Rueter, The Athletic, 8 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Beyond the popular image of federal bureaucrats in Washington are millions of workers across the country who work at veterans hospitals, labs, post offices and military bases.
    Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
  • The show shared an image on social media Monday morning announcing the start.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Atop that challenge was the matter of what would actually be in the film, since Zeppelin footage is as hard to find as someone in the Seventies who didn’t own a copy of Led Zeppelin IV.
    David Browne, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Photo: Ron Bull/Getty Images The back image of Book of Lives features a black-and-white photo of Atwood in the ’70s reading a copy of her second novel, Surfacing, which wrestles with national identity and the marginalization of women, both ambient and overt.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 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
  • 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
  • For every Kings of the Jungle booking, a donation will be made to the effort, which aims to double the lion population by 2050.
    Kathryn Romeyn, AFAR Media, 11 Feb. 2025
  • The Jumeirah Group is expanding across international markets, with plans to double its portfolio by 2030.
    Ritu Upadhyay, WWD, 11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Performance capabilities considered extreme just a few years ago are now common in vehicles ranging from luxury grocery-getters to baronial sedans to grand tourers, all with a similar baseline of amenities.
    Robert Ross, Robb Report, 11 Feb. 2025
  • One of Augustine’s favorite ways to find new opportunities is to search through LinkedIn for workers who held similar roles, either at the same company or a competitor.
    Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Iran’s military displayed replicas of some of its missiles at the square.
    Nasser Karimi, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2025
  • Visitors can study Iron Age artifacts from the Caucasus territories, an exact replica of the Gallery in Rome’s Papal Palace and one of the world’s largest collections of paintings from Flemish artists like Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens.
    Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near duplicate

Cite this Entry

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

More from Merriam-Webster on duplicate

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