1
as in emulates
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior
teenage musicians who imitate whichever rock stars are hot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in mocks
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of
imitating someone's stutter and laughing at them is a cruel thing to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in reproduces
to make an exact likeness of
a second-rate artist who was notorious for imitating the works of other painters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 imitates
The undulating roofline imitates the Allegheny Mountains, and 38 steel columns create a canopy reminiscent of the region's forests, Prix Versailles says.
—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
My mother imitates me, then converts the word into a pair of Korean syllables that sound most like the German.
—
Esther Yi,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
But neither painting nor photography imitates nature.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Like most creative endeavors, art imitates life at Monse.
—
Madeline Hirsch,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
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
What makes the campaign especially convincing is that each stage imitates familiar Apple, Google or Microsoft software behavior many Mac users already trust and routinely encounter.
—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
The pieces are all made from fade- and weather-resistant poly material, which even imitates the look of wood grain for a more stylish finish.
—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Apr. 2026
Aristotle said that art imitates nature (ars imitatur naturam), and for centuries, many artists sought to imitate their subjects as realistically as possible.
—
Andrey Mir,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
My mother imitates me, then converts the word into a pair of Korean syllables that sound most like the German.
—
Esther Yi,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
But neither painting nor photography imitates nature.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Like most creative endeavors, art imitates life at Monse.
—
Madeline Hirsch,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
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
What makes the campaign especially convincing is that each stage imitates familiar Apple, Google or Microsoft software behavior many Mac users already trust and routinely encounter.
—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
The pieces are all made from fade- and weather-resistant poly material, which even imitates the look of wood grain for a more stylish finish.
—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Apr. 2026
Aristotle said that art imitates nature (ars imitatur naturam), and for centuries, many artists sought to imitate their subjects as realistically as possible.
—
Andrey Mir,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitates
Verb
-
Like many performance EVs attempting to address the absence of combustion-engine noise, Genesis has also developed a bespoke electric Active Sound Design system to create a soundtrack that emulates an ICE vehicle.
-
Virgin with Codex emulates the original painting’s translucent hair.
Verb
-
One of the moments in the musical that caused the most laughter and claps from the audience was the final song, which mocks the idea of using violence as a form of protest rather than joining a movement or focusing on policy.
-
The group openly mocks Jesus Christ and many Christian and Catholic traditions.
Verb
-
The smart glasses come equipped with a proprietary liquid-crystal-on-silicon display that reproduces 16 million colors and offers a 51° field of view.
-
Once a specific constraint is imposed, the mathematical model reproduces the exact behavior of the original nonreciprocal flock.
Verb
-
The technology copies tone, speech patterns, and accents closely enough that many people can't tell the difference between a real voice and a fake one.
-
The logic behind the format essentially copies what Spotify has done with podcasts, which is shorter listens leading to longer-form engagement over time.
Verb
-
In another nod to Scream, Cheri Oteri parodies Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers as the comically unethical news anchor Gail Hailstorm.
-
Ben Hania’s film before that, 2020’s Oscar-nominated The Man Who Sold His Skin, parodies the art world’s fetishization of refugees.
Verb
-
The river guides become the architects of a system that replicates their judgment at scale.
-
Named the SpiderCam, the prototype from Northwestern University replicates the manner in which the spiders' eyes allow the creatures to gauge distances before making a surprise sideways jump at some unsuspecting victim minding its own business.
Verb
-
That skill mimics mortality, Lee said, with the Chinese firm calling it another step toward fully autonomous machines capable of working 24/7.
-
Outraged critics say swapping AIPAC for Jews mimics the world's oldest antisemitic conspiracy theories, putting a terrifying target on Jewish backs.
Verb
-
This cozy space does a lot with a little, offering bar seating, booths for larger parties and a few tables for smaller groups.
-
So does Milot Kiros, the DSA Congressional candidate who won in Colorado on Tuesday.
Cite this Entry
“Imitates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitates. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
