look-alike
Americannoun
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a person or thing that looks like or closely resembles another; double.
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a compatible.
The leading brand of computer was expensive so they bought cheap look-alikes.
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a pill or capsule that contains nonprescription stimulants, as caffeine and ephedrine, but is made to appear like one containing illegal or prescription stimulants, as amphetamine or biphetamine.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of look-alike
First recorded in 1945–50; noun use of verb phrase look alike
Explanation
A look-alike is someone who looks almost exactly like another person. Running into your look-alike in a big city would be quite shocking. Some look-alikes are related, like identical twins or cousins who resemble each other to an uncanny degree. Other look-alikes are so similar to celebrities that they can make a living impersonating them. If you are a Michael Jackson look-alike, you could dress like the singer and perform at a talent show, lip syncing his song "Billie Jean" and attempting the moonwalk. Look-alike is an American word, coined around 1937.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Daily Star gives readers a laugh with a "photo exclusive" of a Lionel Messi look-alike, with the impersonator saying he "backs England" in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Three years after winning the Laura look-alike contest, she auditioned to play Laura in the Netflix adaptation through an open casting call, but didn’t get the part.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
In 2023, the Village People’s manager reportedly sent the campaign a cease-and-desist letter after a look-alike group was hired to perform the song “Macho Man” at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
While his look-alike takes over professional commitments, Pasqual can spend time with his pregnant partner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
Maybe somewhere out here there’s a Trevor look-alike that met this dog and made an impression.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
WSJLI: Did you connect with these people whose AI look-alikes are in your campaign?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026
Using a combination of artificial intelligence modeling, genetic screening, and laboratory testing, Duarte and his team confirmed that the M5 motif distinguishes true PET-degrading enzymes from inactive look-alikes.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2025
One of the things about the movie is that a lot of people mistake Bateman for someone else, and you couldn't cast six different DiCaprio look-alikes.
From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2025
For comedian Heidi Gardner, a recent “SNL” sketch that focused on two “Beavis and Butt-Head” look-alikes was “really special” — cracks and all.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2024
"Oh, they're just look-alikes sent by the enchanters. My enemies enjoy confusing me," he said.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
