as in copies
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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1
as in hams
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2
as in anthropoids
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of apes
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
There are high columns crawling with ivy, nearly 12 acres of rolling lawns, teensy windows with teensy shutters, and a diminutive pool house that apes a fairy-tale cottage.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
There are high columns crawling with ivy, nearly 12 acres of rolling lawns, teensy windows with teensy shutters, and a diminutive pool house that apes a fairy-tale cottage.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apes
Verb
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By practicing on a model that copies heart circulation and contraction, doctors can improve their technique for complex valve repairs before surgery.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
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From about 2011 to 2014, Gates emails Epstein directly, and often one of the pair copies Cohen or Nikolic.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Whether or not life imitates art remains to be seen.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
19 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
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The psychology that Bryk wrote for these young men is the key as to why these brutes are more lovable than unbearable.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
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Credit to producers Tim Zinnemann and George Linder for selecting a veritable array of brutes to wage battle with Arnold.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Instead, the site recommends a homemade mixture consisting of four parts water to one part sugar, which emulates the amount of sugar naturally found in nectar.—
Cheyenne Derksen,
Oklahoman,
22 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, anyone online can browse Epstein’s correspondence on Jmail, a site that emulates the experience of browsing his Gmail inbox.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Kiarostami had made films mostly with nonprofessional actors, often about rural people of modest means.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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The story highlights Dilan as a strong female lead, while the main actors — initially new faces — have rapidly gained huge popularity, building large fan bases and reaching over one million followers each on Instagram.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There are no villains—or maybe life, or growing up, or getting older, is the villain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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But watching Ready or Not 2, which comes from returning directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, I was consumed with how quaint its characterization of its villains was.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Costumed reporters and awkward celebrity posers.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Rideshare posers have also allegedly raped passengers.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Authorities found a total of 105 dead animals, including 77 rabbits, 23 chickens, two cats, a duck, a skunk and a squirrel, according to the warrant affidavit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
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That’s a sure way to invite not only raccoons but other unwanted guests such as mice, opossums, and skunks.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apes. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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