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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as in hams
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as in anthropoids
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of apes
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 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
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
But if getting Andy back in the Runway fold feels a lot like getting her into it in the first film, that feeling will only persist, as the sequel apes the original feature nearly beat for beat, with some small swaps here and there.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 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
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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The logic behind the format essentially copies what Spotify has done with podcasts, which is shorter listens leading to longer-form engagement over time.—
Frank Racioppi,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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On a party count, that is 4-3 for the Dems and the one-for-you, one-for-me bipartisan staffing copies the Board of Elections.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Like most creative endeavors, art imitates life at Monse.—
Madeline Hirsch,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
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The Yellow Chartreuse with its honeyed complexity imitates the lingering natural sweetness of the agave nectar, and the juicy bittersweet orange from the Aperol takes the role of the Cointreau, all atop a subtle smoky backbone.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
23 May 2026
Noun
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That’s happened in several Mid Atlantic rivers, but in the absence of larger brutes like blues and flathead, channels will thrive and can break the 15-pound mark.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
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In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-skinned developing world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Virgin with Codex emulates the original painting’s translucent hair.—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
20 May 2026
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The experience emulates the strategy, physical competition and even starvation sometimes.—
Charlotte Walsh,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Both actors are incandescent and the chemistry between them is off the charts, and Calvani is even more adorable this season as the demonstrative and frank Italian who longs for his homeland.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
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Casting actors who are well past college age to play fictional undergraduates is nothing new, but the near-decade between Bright and co-star Belmont Cameli has stirred up fans and even commanded a response from one of the show’s stars.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Fast forward two years, and they are now presented as villains in a way no other team has since the late 1990s Yankees teams.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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Simon was more interested in sociological dynamics about what makes a city tick than traditional heroes or villains, creating a complex portrait of humanity at its best and worst.—
Derek Lawrence,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Get paid, hang out like the rest of these posers.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
Costumed reporters and awkward celebrity posers.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Animals commonly associated with rabies include skunks, foxes, coyotes and raccoons.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
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Fleas are carried constantly into your yard by wildlife that passes through, such as skunks, raccoons, opossums, mice, and deer, says Benson.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apes. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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