1
as in to emulate
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior
teenage musicians who imitate whichever rock stars are hot
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Relevance
2
as in to parody
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of
imitating someone's stutter and laughing at them is a cruel thing to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to reproduce
to make an exact likeness of
a second-rate artist who was notorious for imitating the works of other painters
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imitate
For example, turkey ham is usually cured and flavored to imitate traditional ham.
—
Merve Ceylan, Health, 15 Sep. 2025
Life imitating art imitating life.
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Perhaps most surprising aspect of this research was the eagerness of the macaws to imitate the actions of other species living nearby.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Many may want to imitate us, but never want to celebrate us.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitate
Merve Ceylan, Health, 15 Sep. 2025
Life imitating art imitating life.
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Perhaps most surprising aspect of this research was the eagerness of the macaws to imitate the actions of other species living nearby.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Many may want to imitate us, but never want to celebrate us.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitate
Verb
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His values—American values—are the best hope for our republic and should emulated by all.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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One of his hallmarks was performing shirtless and flaunting his abs on stage, setting a bold trend that other male K-pop idols would soon emulate.—
Regina Kim,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That has included Newsom ramping up his social media presence, frequently parodying Trump with the all-caps statements that the president uses, as well as launching a merchandise shop that features many of the slogans Trump has on his signature hats, only with Newsom’s name swapped in.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025
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Michaels confirmed that one cast member won't be going anywhere: James Austin Johnson will continue parodying President Trump.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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To capture his presence on screen, Wembanyama has taken part in creative sessions with the production team, including a dedicated motion capture shoot to reproduce his signature moves and posture.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
16 Sep. 2025
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Without people in the loop, AI risks reproducing the inherent problems that it is meant to avoid, including discrimination, institutional incompetence and overall distrust.—
Gangesh Pathak,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Not to be redistributed, copied, or modified in any way.—
Benj Edwards,
ArsTechnica,
16 Sep. 2025
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Yes, speed is table stakes, but also easy to copy; whereas feeling understood is what moves the needle towards the positive.—
Tayfun Bilsel,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Many on the right have reacted strongly to those perceived to be celebrating or mocking Kirk's death, calling for consequences such as losing their jobs or in Omar's case, being censured.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Comedy Central responded to Kirk’s killing by pulling the episode mocking him from its regular rotation.—
Dominick Mastrangelo,
The Hill,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But while salons have offered steam treatments as a curly hair staple for decades, at-home steamers have been too bulky (attempting to replicate in-salon domes) or too hard to use, requiring you to wrestle your curls into heated thermal caps, a battle that’s easy to lose.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Here, 20 members of Forbes Coaches Council share soft skills professionals will need to stay resilient as the world of work continues to evolve them, underscoring the importance of honing human capabilities that technology can’t replicate.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There’s a primer that doubles as a moisturizer and a concealer that mimics the tone and texture of your skin.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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By picking up on how humans write and reflect their anger, the AI uses mathematical and computational pattern matching to then mimic the emotion of anger.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In addition to higher rates and fewer terms, Rocket also charges closing costs, which Third Federal does not.—
Kelsey Neubauer,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
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This is done through communication of leadership goals.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitate. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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