Normal: $array = [ { 'A' => 'B', 'C' => 'D', 'E' => 'F' }, 'foo', $array->[0], [ $array->[0], 'bar', $array->[0], $array ] ]; Deepcopy: $array = [ { 'A' => 'B', 'C' => 'D', 'E' => 'F' }, 'foo', { 'A' => 'B', 'C' => 'D', 'E' => 'F' }, [ { 'A' => 'B', 'C' => 'D', 'E' => 'F' }, 'bar', { 'A' => 'B', 'C' => 'D', 'E' => 'F' }, $array ] ]; Purity: $array = [ { 'A' => 'B', 'C' => 'D', 'E' => 'F' }, 'foo', {}, [ {}, 'bar', {}, [] ] ]; $array->[2] = $array->[0]; $array->[3][0] = $array->[0]; $array->[3][2] = $array->[0]; $array->[3][3] = $array; PureDeep: $array = [ { 'A' => 'B', 'C' => 'D', 'E' => 'F' }, 'foo', { 'A' => 'B', 'C' => 'D', 'E' => 'F' }, [ { 'A' => 'B', 'C' => 'D', 'E' => 'F' }, 'bar', { 'A' => 'B', 'C' => 'D', 'E' => 'F' }, [] ] ]; $array->[3][3] = $array;