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
Relevance
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
But the series’ genre switch is just a theatrical exercise, like Euphoria is putting on another play, this one against a Harmony Korine– and Quentin Tarantino–aping backdrop.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
The re-enactments, which include bomb-making and transportation, as well as the three-pronged plan to escape, have a flavor that calls to mind ’70s heist and spy films, accompanied by Michael James Lee’s jaunty, genre-aping score.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
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
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
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
The re-enactments, which include bomb-making and transportation, as well as the three-pronged plan to escape, have a flavor that calls to mind ’70s heist and spy films, accompanied by Michael James Lee’s jaunty, genre-aping score.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
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
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
-
The gulls weren’t directly imitating the act of eating.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The gulls weren’t imitating human eating directly but were using the human’s choice as a cue to guide their own foraging decisions.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Another friendly, to take place before facing Mexico, is also in the pipeline ahead of Popovic inking his final 26-man squad; one that will carry Australian hopes of emulating their round of 16 appearances in Germany at the 2006 edition and then Qatar 2022 — and the dream of even more.—
Michael Bailey,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
At least for now, Bath’s example illustrates the possibilities in terms of both promise and avenues for development—by emulating nature (selecting hardy strains of Bacillus) and pharmaceutical engineering (capsule technology), civil engineers are rethinking concrete from the inside out.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These moments show students evaluating AI output critically and treating it almost as a sparring partner, rather than simply copying it.—
Jeanne Beatrix Law,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The lawsuits accused Suno and Udio of unlawfully copying the three companies’ sound recordings as training models for their AI models.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tassoni is best known for his 2023 Black List script Lure, which follows a park ranger lured into the woods by a dangerous, unearthly predator mimicking her dead daughter.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Martha Stewart, who introduced her followers to the tradition in 2005, resurrected the dessert a few days ago on Instagram with a photo of a cake expertly decorated with chocolate curls mimicking a lamb’s wooly coat.—
Lisa Gutierrez
April 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aping. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
