aped

verb

past tense of ape
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aped
  1. imitated
  2. copied
  3. emulated
  4. mimicked
Verb
  • Still, Nixon created a blueprint for presidential lawlessness that Trump imitated and greatly expanded.
    — Elizabeth Holtzman, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The University of Chicago, University of Illinois and Columbia University soon imitated this approach.
    — Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 23 July 2026
Definition of imitated
Verb
  • In the school’s drawing program, de Kooning copied classical works, mostly from Greece.
    — Hilton Als, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • When a car gets flagged, the racing team gets a note (copied to the FIA) and a short window to fix it.
    — Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of copied
Verb
  • Others snapped selfies holding physical copies of Hard Court and marveled at the chestnut burrs—that emulated the look of tennis balls—placed around the shop.
    — Paul Chi, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Liccardo pitched the framework as a legislative model that could be emulated across levels of local government in the Bay Area to create region-wide protection against potential ICE facilities.
    — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of emulated
Verb
  • In 1940 came the invention of nylon undergarments, which meant women of the midcentury could be more comfortable and less revealing in stockings that mimicked some skin tones.
    — April White, JSTOR Daily, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The ribbed detailing along the hem is mimicked along the sleeves to add texture, and the buttoned neckline is monochromatic for a super streamlined look.
    — Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of mimicked

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Cite this Entry

“Aped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aped. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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