dead ringer

American  

noun

Slang.

1. a person or thing that closely resembles another; ringer.

   That old car is a dead ringer for the one we used to own.

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dead ringer Idioms  

1. A person or thing that closely resembles another; an exact counterpart. For example, Brian's a dead ringer for his Dad, or That red bike is a dead ringer for Mary's. [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of dead ringer

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

A weirdo dog lets you “show your individuality,” said Terence Nelson, 38, an influencer marketing strategist in New York whose fuzzy Brussels griffon, Sue, is a dead ringer for an Ewok.

From The Wall Street Journal

They’re pretty much dead ringers for each other, especially when they showed up to Augusta National this week wearing the same gray quarter-zip pullovers.

From Los Angeles Times

Tom Hollander is a dead ringer for Capote, while Naomi Watts’ Babe Paley is stunning and tragic.

From Salon

And, he wrote, their focus on the specifics of their situations ignored Bruen’s guidance that a historic law does not have to be a “dead ringer” to support a modern one.

From Los Angeles Times

The cashier was mum on the “secret sauce,” but that chili mayo is a dead ringer for the popular bang bang sauce.

From Seattle Times