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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Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, previously said in a statement that accounts imitating other people go against their terms of service and are removed when flagged.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
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Broncos fans have rallied around their backup quarterback, with thousands of fans changing their social media avatars to a picture of Stidham’s face, photoshopped with sunglasses and headphones, imitating a LeBron James meme.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The amber hue of the beaded chokers acts as a neutral color against the lapis-blue top, emulating a similar warmth to the yellow-gold pendant to tie the accessories together.—
Abby Morgan Lebet,
Glamour,
3 Feb. 2026
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Brosnan, as Steele, was always impeccably turned out; Newsom began emulating him, coiffing his hair, wearing a suit to school.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The director’s boss also began copying Amber on emails requesting data.—
Chris Lipp,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Big data models learn by copying existing actions—how to fold clothes, write a dissertation, or create a video of a pig hoverboarding through space—by parsing previous examples and extrapolating similar behavior.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kelce did a little Kermit voice when mimicking Mahomes.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
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Teams got the go Monday before noon to fill the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft with 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant at KSC’s Launch Pad 39-B with plans to run the countdown clock down to T-33 seconds mimicking the action that would be taken on an actual launch day.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aping. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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