as in imitated
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior
was caught aping the substitute teacher's thick accent
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Recent Examples of aped
Nicholson's fireworks would be subsequently aped, and amped up to over-the-top proportions, by other actors and by the future Batman villain himself.
—
Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
But none aped the style of an actual Super Bowl ad more cleverly than this one, clearly modeled after Budweiser’s ads that tend to feature horses and inspirational voiceovers.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
American elites aped European fashions, art, and manners, and Europeans admired American energy and efficiency.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
But none aped the style of an actual Super Bowl ad more cleverly than this one, clearly modeled after Budweiser’s ads that tend to feature horses and inspirational voiceovers.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
American elites aped European fashions, art, and manners, and Europeans admired American energy and efficiency.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aped
Verb
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Streep imitated how Hawn, 80, would arrive on set, always apologetic.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
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For starters, as Anthropic’s explicit focus on mitigating the risks of AI has apparently won the trust of many consumers, OpenAI has imitated many of its rival’s safety initiatives.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On a related note, leaders need to be better at differentiating between truly high-quality thinking, and something copied directly from AI that will make people roll their eyes.—
David Rock,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
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Buffkin’s resolution was so confusing it might have been copied off an Etruscan tablet.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The adult world is studied and emulated in a manner that suggests praxis but no theory.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Their performance emulated the energy Charlie Kirk once brought to college campuses before his death.—
Saige Miller,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The first tinkling notes mimicked the pre‑concert bell that ushered the audience to their seats—an unusual start that elicited a giggle from the crowd.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
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As Aaron Boone summoned Tim Hill to the mound in the seventh inning of the Yankees‘ win over the Orioles on Saturday, the manager mimicked the reliever’s sidearm delivery.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aped. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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