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
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Recent Examples of imitates
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
Whether or not life imitates art remains to be seen.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2026
Patagonia’s proprietary synthetic fill imitates down’s structure by spinning air-trapping microfilaments around a central fiber and requires fewer stabilizing seams and baffles than down.
—Kelly Bastone, Outside, 10 Feb. 2026
And, because life sometimes imitates art, Williams and Storrie are heading to the Olympics.
—Anna Zucca, Vanity Fair, 23 Jan. 2026
The layered neckline, with the bust peeking out from behind, imitates this season's hottest red carpet trend, the semi-visible bra.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 12 Jan. 2026
Its light imitates an actual sunrise, gradually going from red to bright white.
—Quincy Bulin, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Jan. 2026
The style imitates that of many social media influencers, who seek to keep their content dynamic.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
Louvre robbery Heists are usually seen only in films, but sometimes, life imitates art.
—Will Barker, TheWeek, 30 Dec. 2025
Andrey Mir, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Whether or not life imitates art remains to be seen.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2026
Patagonia’s proprietary synthetic fill imitates down’s structure by spinning air-trapping microfilaments around a central fiber and requires fewer stabilizing seams and baffles than down.
—Kelly Bastone, Outside, 10 Feb. 2026
And, because life sometimes imitates art, Williams and Storrie are heading to the Olympics.
—Anna Zucca, Vanity Fair, 23 Jan. 2026
The layered neckline, with the bust peeking out from behind, imitates this season's hottest red carpet trend, the semi-visible bra.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 12 Jan. 2026
Its light imitates an actual sunrise, gradually going from red to bright white.
—Quincy Bulin, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Jan. 2026
The style imitates that of many social media influencers, who seek to keep their content dynamic.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
Louvre robbery Heists are usually seen only in films, but sometimes, life imitates art.
—Will Barker, TheWeek, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitates
Verb
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Instead, the site recommends a homemade mixture consisting of four parts water to one part sugar, which emulates the amount of sugar naturally found in nectar.—
Cheyenne Derksen,
Oklahoman,
22 Mar. 2026
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The room sits at 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and while only beer is served here, the interior perfectly emulates the traditional farmhouse dining rooms that dot the Black Forest.—
Kendra Atleework,
Longreads,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tight end Assuming Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq is long gone, there’s only one who’s a potential option at 43 - Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, who Miller mocks to Miami.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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This seems like a reach, but many mocks now have Cooper, previously considered a second-round pick, going to the Jets in the middle of the first round.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The new simulator reproduces galactic cosmic rays using ion accelerators, giving researchers a powerful tool to study radiation exposure in deep space.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Mar. 2026
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The nuance and presence that the Nova Elite's carbon fiber reproduces across the full frequency range are noticeably better than those of the Nova Pro Wireless, which already sounds great.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On a party count, that is 4-3 for the Dems and the one-for-you, one-for-me bipartisan staffing copies the Board of Elections.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Every time the virus copies itself inside a cell, its genetic material mutates.—
Kyle B. Enfield,
The Conversation,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ben Hania’s film before that, 2020’s Oscar-nominated The Man Who Sold His Skin, parodies the art world’s fetishization of refugees.—
Alexander Durie,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Newsom has been trying to raise his national profile, adopting a combative style that parodies Trump’s social media strategy with similar all-caps posts, memes and merchandise.—
Adriana Gomez Licon,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lerner gets plentiful mileage out of his novel’s title, which also connotes the transmission of culture (thought or speech to writing, sound to vinyl) or part of the process whereby DNA replicates.—
Hannah Gold,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Researchers at the University of Bristol have created a network of simple mechanical motors that replicates how human muscles respond to increasing load.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Colorado, of course, is not short on country musicians or venues that play their music, but Patterson hopes to add his unique spin to Broken Bow Western Bar and Dance Hall by showcasing artists he’s collaborated with and curating an aesthetic that mimics his Instagram page.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2026
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The character, played by Esteban Andres Cruz, has been reduced to a simpering stereotype who makes a pass at a cop and mimics a blow job.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Unfortunately, their upstairs neighbors are about to arrive for dinner, and everything that can go wrong does.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2026
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Like really bad attitude, but also does some unspeakably bad things in this story.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imitates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitates. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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