1
as in follower
a person who adopts the appearance or behavior of another especially in an obvious way
an Elvis imitator in a sequinned jumpsuit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in performer
a person who imitates another's voice and mannerisms for comic effect
that comedian is a hilarious imitator of a surprising array of current celebrities
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Recent Examples of imitator
This quickly became the world's best-selling pen and was soon followed by many imitators that sold in the billions.
—
New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
These are people who are in the know, many of whom actually thought of him as kind of a loser, as kind of an imitator.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
McVay’s offense inspired imitators as his assistant coaches spread across the NFL over the next few seasons, and while new defensive schemes famously evolved to counter it, 11 personnel seemed a permanent fixture of a league hell-bent on passing.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
The next two years saw the opening of imitators such as Pace, BJ’s, and Sam’s Club.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
The oud that launched a thousand imitators, and still outclasses them all.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
The goofy tree-imitator Pokémon, whose rock typing has come off as a prank since its early second generation introduction, finally fulfills its destiny as a grass type thanks to this new battling phenomenon.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
In several other 2025 cases, ICE agent imitators have been seeking social media clout or making a political point.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Kam Patterson, who is arriving from the Austin scene, a thriving-but-controversial branch of the comedy world loosely organized around Joe Rogan and his imitators.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
These are people who are in the know, many of whom actually thought of him as kind of a loser, as kind of an imitator.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
McVay’s offense inspired imitators as his assistant coaches spread across the NFL over the next few seasons, and while new defensive schemes famously evolved to counter it, 11 personnel seemed a permanent fixture of a league hell-bent on passing.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
The next two years saw the opening of imitators such as Pace, BJ’s, and Sam’s Club.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
The oud that launched a thousand imitators, and still outclasses them all.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
The goofy tree-imitator Pokémon, whose rock typing has come off as a prank since its early second generation introduction, finally fulfills its destiny as a grass type thanks to this new battling phenomenon.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
In several other 2025 cases, ICE agent imitators have been seeking social media clout or making a political point.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Kam Patterson, who is arriving from the Austin scene, a thriving-but-controversial branch of the comedy world loosely organized around Joe Rogan and his imitators.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitator
Noun
-
And their reach now goes far beyond the parish; the nuns now have their own Instagram account, currently with 70,000 followers.—
Esme Nicholson,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Murphy has produced countless TV shows that have been heaped with acclaim, ratings and awards and Kardashian is a reality show star turned businesswoman and billionaire, with millions of followers and fans hooked to her every move.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Earlier, Fox shared footage of herself to her Instagram Story, which showed her — as the former first lady — grabbing the breast of performer Linux.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Hans is engaged to a fellow performer, but Cleopatra has her eyes on Hans’s sizable inheritance.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ditto the echoes of The Civil War, also examining a battle that pit brother against brother, and The Vietnam War, in which America became the occupying imperial force failing to understand or successfully combat a domestic insurgence.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Their lead guitarist — a wiry seventeen-year-old named Bruce Springsteen — already had an assistant to hit his echo pedal on cue.—
Henry Selick,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Being an actor means constantly outputting — expressing — but rarely having time to take in new experiences.—
Gavin J Blair,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The halter neck and close-fitting dress is a signature shape for the actor, and of course, a go-to label.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The funniest part about that is Lisa Ann Walter is actually a really exceptional impressionist.—
Vlada Gelman,
TVLine,
16 Apr. 2025
-
The comedian and impressionist who has done his impressions to the faces of Michael Buble, Jeff Goldblum, Paul Giamatti and more will be at American Comedy Co. 8 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.—
San Diego Union-Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Many impersonators use public details like your hometown, workplace or family connections to build fake profiles that seem trustworthy.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The spokesman pointed to Spotify's new AI protections for artists and music producers, which includes stepped up enforcement of AI impersonators, like in this case.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Guided by the examples of Will Smith and Denzel Washington, the entertainer’s mindset is about longevity, range, and impact.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
21 Oct. 2025
-
June was proud to be an entertainer.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This enhancement occurred whether the viral mimic was DNA or RNA, meaning that CSWE activated multiple immune pathways.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The buttons in the front mimic the look of a quintessential office essential — the button-up shirt — and the length and sleeves provide just the right amount of coverage.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imitator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitator. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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