as in grove
a thick patch of shrubbery, small trees, or underbrush
a small copse of trees shaded the back of the house
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of copse
The path climbs past copses of mountain hemlocks and red firs, and through alpine meadows dotted with wildflowers in the spring and summer.
—
Eric Rosen, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2023
Smoke envelops a Russian bunker hit by the Ukrainians; the Buhay, hiding near a copse, is somehow spared from bombardment by enemy forces.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2023
NJ Agwuna’s lively direction fit neatly into Peter J. Davison’s festival unit set—a copse of tree trunks at stage right, an array of colored lightbulbs above—and Christelle Matou’s handsome, sculptural costumes made a clear visual statement.
—Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2021
The hulking mass of the Hagia Sophia, the sixth-century church that became the enduring symbol of Christendom, seemed like a basilica to me again, surrounded by a copse of slim, tapered minarets.
—New York Times, 12 May 2022
See all Example Sentences for copse 
Eric Rosen, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2023
Smoke envelops a Russian bunker hit by the Ukrainians; the Buhay, hiding near a copse, is somehow spared from bombardment by enemy forces.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2023
NJ Agwuna’s lively direction fit neatly into Peter J. Davison’s festival unit set—a copse of tree trunks at stage right, an array of colored lightbulbs above—and Christelle Matou’s handsome, sculptural costumes made a clear visual statement.
—Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2021
The hulking mass of the Hagia Sophia, the sixth-century church that became the enduring symbol of Christendom, seemed like a basilica to me again, surrounded by a copse of slim, tapered minarets.
—New York Times, 12 May 2022
See all Example Sentences for copse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copse
Noun
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Western monarchs rely on overwintering groves along the California coast, some of which are now proposed to be designated as critical habitat for the species.—
Sharmeen Morrison,
The Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2025
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Sylmar is yet another Los Angeles, remote and rugged, far to the north in the San Fernando Valley, an arid swath of ranches and working-class suburbs once known for its groves of olive trees.—
Shawn Hubler,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The controversial decision allows litigants to block restoration projects by requiring duplicative analysis at both the project level and the forest plan level any time new information emerges about an endangered or threatened species in that forest.—
Joel Thayer,
Newsweek,
27 Jan. 2025
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Related Stories Fire rages in the forest one night when the village’s de facto guardian Maxim (Willem Dafoe), and his troupe of gun-toting child troglodytes trained in his image, hunt the Ochi (humans blame them for the disappearance of farm animals).—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The two most straightforward of the trials will involve large-scale planting of trees and bioenergy crops, including Miscanthus grasses and coppice willow, reports Robert Lea for AZoCleanTech.—
Alex Fox,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 May 2021
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Another strategy, called short rotation coppice, involves planting fast-growing trees such as willows and poplars in extremely dense rows.—
Eric Toensmeier,
Scientific American,
1 Aug. 2020
Noun
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Business leaders, lawmakers, legal scholars and influencers who make money on TikTok are watching to see how Trump tries to resolve a thicket of regulatory, legal, financial and geopolitical issues with his signature.—
Sally Ho,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2025
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On many other fronts, Trump’s most contentious executive actions are sure to meet a thicket of court challenges.—
Calvin Woodward,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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During one expedition to what was once London, a young scientist, out gathering brushwood, unearths a small vacuum flask, inside which is a handwritten account of life in a small village called Beadle during the days leading up to the lunar catastrophe.—
Michael Dirda,
Washington Post,
2 Feb. 2023
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Bare dunes were planted with ‘brushwood and windbreaks, perpendicular to wind direction’ so that the dunes do not interfere with the canal system and irrigated farmlands.—
Azera Parveen Rahman,
Quartz,
27 Oct. 2022
Noun
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Southern California is dominated by shrublands known as chaparral.—
Hannah Singleton,
WIRED,
21 Jan. 2025
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Phillip, 48, went outside and hiked into the gullies to cut away brush and chaparral until there was nothing flammable left within several hundred feet of the house.—
Eli Saslow,
New York Times,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Look at nature and consider the fact that although bushfires destroy, there are certain bushes that only grow as a result of that bushfire.—
Simone Milasas,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
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Volunteers like Wilfredo Chavez, 39, said trekking through the thick bushes and branches is an effort to understand his own family’s trip across the border.—
Mariana Martínez Barba,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Thoughtful touches like the frameless mirrors, raised center console to help touching the display, and the lack of a start/stop button (just press the brake to switch it on) all bring a sense of cohesion.—
Alistair Charlton,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
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At the height of her fame and the start of her family life, Diaz chose to put the brakes on her red-hot career.—
Aaron Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near copse
Cite this Entry
“Copse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copse. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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