aping

present participle of ape
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

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 aping 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
  • Only one case has resulted in federal charges for imitating an officer – another break from the past four administrations, when roughly half of the ICE-imposter cases were charged under federal statutes.
    Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The fact that these programs are becoming adept at imitating consciousness, however, may be all that matters for now.
    Webb Wright, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The project is a continuation of the team’s cooperative filmmaking model, emulating Lugacy’s previous feature film, the Independent Spirit Award nominated This Is Not A War Story which was acquired by Warner OneFifty for HBO Max.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The shooter also posted content emulating the Columbine High School shooters, who killed 14 people in 1999.
    Deon J. Hampton, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Pet owner Saige shared an adorable clip on TikTok (@saigescho) showing her white rescue kitten, Maude, copying the antics of her long-haired chihuahua, Alfie.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • My translation is not copying but an artistic act.
    Robert Minhinnick, The Dial, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The musical instruments of this region are crafted from the earth, mimicking birds that fly along the banks of rivers, the sound of rain or the beating of a heart.
    Karla Gachet, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
  • In a speech on the subject on the Senate floor in August, the senator was flanked by a placard with images of hemp products in packages mimicking snacks such as Doritos and Oreos.
    Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Aping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aping. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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