dead ringer

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dead ringer¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Idioms and Phrases

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]

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.

Read more on 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.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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

Read more on 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.

Read more on 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.

Read more on Seattle Times