ape 1 of 3

Definition of apenext
as in to imitate
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior was caught aping the substitute teacher's thick accent

Synonyms & Similar Words

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ape

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adjective

ape

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word ape distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of ape are copy, imitate, mimic, and mock. While all these words mean "to make something so that it resembles an existing thing," ape may suggest presumptuous, slavish, or inept imitating of a superior original.

American fashion designers aped their European colleagues

When is it sensible to use copy instead of ape?

The words copy and ape can be used in similar contexts, but copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible.

copied the painting and sold the fake as an original

Where would imitate be a reasonable alternative to ape?

Although the words imitate and ape have much in common, imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation.

imitate a poet's style

When might mimic be a better fit than ape?

The words mimic and ape are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation.

pupils mimicking their teacher

When could mock be used to replace ape?

While the synonyms mock and ape are close in meaning, mock usually implies imitation with derision.

mocking a vain man's pompous manner

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ape
Verb
The failure of Hollywood’s first take on Godzilla, which reimagined this towering icon into a skittering lizard that was clearly aping more from Jurassic Park than any of the kaiju films that came before it, positioned the start of Godzilla’s third era as something of a return to form. James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026 More importantly, this origin story of a movie and a movement apes the joie de moviemaking and the jazzy looseness of the original to an absolutely amazing degree, replicating an off-the-cuff feeling that’s more than a second-hand buzz. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
The oldest human was an ape In 2012, study authors discovered KNM-ER 64061, a collection of 100 bones, at Koobi Fora on the eastern side of Lake Turkana in Kenya. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 17 Jan. 2026 But, also, some Godzilla movies can be pretty great because a giant lizard and a giant ape fight real good on top of an aircraft carrier. James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ape
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ape
Verb
  • Brameshuber picked and cast people and put them in a car with Sommer in a studio to imitate the experience of long rides and allow for free-flowing conversations to develop, sometimes giving Sommer pointers, via an earpiece, about questions and topics to pursue.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Patagonia’s proprietary synthetic fill imitates down’s structure by spinning air-trapping microfilaments around a central fiber and requires fewer stabilizing seams and baffles than down.
    Kelly Bastone, Outside, 10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Last summer, Russia stood by powerlessly as US and Israeli war planes struck Iran, another key Russian Kremlin partner in the Middle East, targeting its nuclear facilities.
    Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
  • The work focuses on dysprosium, a heavy rare-earth element used to improve heat resistance in magnets and stabilize nuclear control rods.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • That the officiant would be a giant anthropoid jar of mayo named Manny Mayo was actually too good to be true.
    Heather Schroering, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Aug. 2025
  • By never breaking the anthropoid conceit — keeping Williams a chimp from working-class childhood obscurity to adult pop-stardom — Better Man evolves into the most honest and exploratory showbiz movie ever made.
    Armond White, National Review, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • That model was unlike anything else on the market at the time, with separate amplifier circuits for cleaner separation in each channel, and a vacuum tube preamp stage for analog smoothness and warmth – sort of emulating an audiophile's full system setup.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Feb. 2026
  • The show was so big that ABC soon began emulating the Roman numeral naming convention of the Super Bowl, and by the time the concept had run its course, the Battle franchise closed out in 1988 just shy of the XX mark.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • This has unintended consequences when both Batel and Spock share a vision that sends Spock into a berserk rage.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 31 July 2025
  • But that was before Watkins suffered a season-ending ACL tear and before UConn star Paige Bueckers went absolutely berserk, scoring 40 in the Sweet 16.
    Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Costumed reporters and awkward celebrity posers.
    Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Newsom became, by his own definition, a poser.
    Maya Singer, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has recorded 38 winter cases over the last five years, with the vast majority found in skunks.
    Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
  • In addition, there’s the risk of secondary toxicity if a mole is eaten by a bird of prey or other predator including foxes and skunks.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Workers resent being forced to use a technology that will then copy their ideas and processes, only to replace them in a few years time.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
  • However, simply copying a movement is not enough.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ape. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

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