1
as in emulating
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
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2
as in parodying
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 copying
to make an exact likeness of
a second-rate artist who was notorious for imitating the works of other painters
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imitating
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
Life is imitating art for Emily in Paris costars Ashley Park and Paul Forman.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Dalton recalls, imitating a groan.
—Sean Mandell, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
To achieve the characteristic soap-nails effect, the color should be applied in thin layers and have a glossy finish, imitating the transparency and freshness of a wet bar of soap.
—Irene Reyes, Glamour, 23 Sep. 2025
The cartoonist Mort Walker’s The Lexicon of Comicana—which began as an exhibition half a century ago at the Museum of Cartoon Art—offers a textbook case of life imitating art.
—Cullen Murphy, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025
Later in the game, when officials did call traveling on Atlanta, Clark was seen imitating the gesture again, playfully.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2025
On his podcast, Cruz even compared Carr’s remarks to an intimidation tactic out of Goodfellas, and the senator even took to imitating mafia voices to get his point across.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
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
Life is imitating art for Emily in Paris costars Ashley Park and Paul Forman.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Dalton recalls, imitating a groan.
—Sean Mandell, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
To achieve the characteristic soap-nails effect, the color should be applied in thin layers and have a glossy finish, imitating the transparency and freshness of a wet bar of soap.
—Irene Reyes, Glamour, 23 Sep. 2025
The cartoonist Mort Walker’s The Lexicon of Comicana—which began as an exhibition half a century ago at the Museum of Cartoon Art—offers a textbook case of life imitating art.
—Cullen Murphy, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025
Later in the game, when officials did call traveling on Atlanta, Clark was seen imitating the gesture again, playfully.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2025
On his podcast, Cruz even compared Carr’s remarks to an intimidation tactic out of Goodfellas, and the senator even took to imitating mafia voices to get his point across.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitating
Verb
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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
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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
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Katie Couric is parodying Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle jeans ad for a good cause.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Sep. 2025
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What To Know The Democratic governor of California has recently taken on a new strategy to oppose Trump—parodying the president's brash social media style to mock him.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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My translation is not copying but an artistic act.—
Robert Minhinnick,
The Dial,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Last week, at the Glasgow stop of her Infinity Heart tour, Siwa unexpectedly ejected two fans from the show over a hoodie that featured Siwa photoshopped onto an egg, an image that appeared to be mocking her hairline.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
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Following the ruling, Newsom’s press office sent a mocking reply Abbott’s way.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The costs of reproducing living labor varied in response to struggle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
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Without people in the loop, AI risks reproducing the inherent problems that it is meant to avoid, including discrimination, institutional incompetence and overall distrust.—
Gangesh Pathak,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even though Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to give Amorim a full season, and losing to Sunderland was not regarded as terminal, doing so would have brought immense pressure.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Hi hi hello, how is everyone doing on this lovely Sunday?—
Rosalind Bowling,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Miller started with strikeouts of Seiya Suzuki, Kelly and Crow-Armstrong, replicating the sequence of events from his one-inning appearance a day earlier.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Hailey Bieber, too, has given the sneaker a seal of approval, strutting around in its ombré, yellow-and-orange version in London while confirming that the trench coat and Nike Shox combo is one worthy of replicating this fall.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitating. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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