as in imitating
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 aping
Trying To Avoid The Generic However, having minimal buttons is hardly an original design strategy when so many EVs have followed this route (aping Tesla).
—
James Morris, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
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
Critics accused him of aping Farage’s rhetoric and warned that Labour could lose votes to the left in trying to court the right.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Ryback shows the younger man's relaxation-as-growth around impressive set pieces, including a segment of aping famed concert pianists Alfred Brendel and Glenn Gould as well as Hoffman's blistering rant after a visit to Dachau.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2025
James Morris, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
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
Critics accused him of aping Farage’s rhetoric and warned that Labour could lose votes to the left in trying to court the right.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Ryback shows the younger man's relaxation-as-growth around impressive set pieces, including a segment of aping famed concert pianists Alfred Brendel and Glenn Gould as well as Hoffman's blistering rant after a visit to Dachau.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aping
Verb
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Hemp products imitating the designs of popular children’s snacks have become so common that the Federal Trade Commission told manufacturers to stop in 2023.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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The most graphic pieces incorporate up to 300 different patchwork elements, imitating traditional quilting motifs.—
Alex Wynne,
Footwear News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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However, simply copying a movement is not enough.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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The city of Peabody was hacked last summer with the mayor's office saying someone got into their systems and began copying certain files.—
Mike Sullivan,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The pointed-toe shoe features brogue perforations and lacing at the vamp, mimicking the classic brogue dress shoe.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
24 Feb. 2026
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Then, Tinney brought it up as high as his frame would permit, mimicking the over-the-top release point of 6-foot-6 superstar Dylan Volantis.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aping. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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