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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imitating
In a case of life imitating art, this whodunnit explores the investigation behind her disappearance, strangely resembling one of Christie’s own novels, where everyone in her life becomes a suspect, including her brother, Monty (Trevena).
—
Alex Ritman, Variety, 1 June 2026
Zoe, born seven years later, grew up watching them, imitating them and wanting to be them.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
So in that moment, life is imitating art a little bit.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
So maybe that was art imitating life.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 18 May 2026
Life is officially imitating art for Dani Rojas from Ted Lasso.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Another potential treatment route the study opens up is using machines to massage cancer cells, imitating the rhythmic beating of the heart.
—Anil Oza, STAT, 23 Apr. 2026
Life imitating art By the time Artemis astronauts begin assembling a real foothold at the Moon’s south pole, the blueprint will feel oddly familiar, at least to those sim addicts who have been dreaming of a functional moon colony for decades now.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026
The upcoming season of Nobody Wants This includes a bit more art imitating life after Timothy Simons‘ recent hair experiment.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2026
Alex Ritman, Variety, 1 June 2026
Zoe, born seven years later, grew up watching them, imitating them and wanting to be them.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
So in that moment, life is imitating art a little bit.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
So maybe that was art imitating life.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 18 May 2026
Life is officially imitating art for Dani Rojas from Ted Lasso.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Another potential treatment route the study opens up is using machines to massage cancer cells, imitating the rhythmic beating of the heart.
—Anil Oza, STAT, 23 Apr. 2026
Life imitating art By the time Artemis astronauts begin assembling a real foothold at the Moon’s south pole, the blueprint will feel oddly familiar, at least to those sim addicts who have been dreaming of a functional moon colony for decades now.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026
The upcoming season of Nobody Wants This includes a bit more art imitating life after Timothy Simons‘ recent hair experiment.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitating
Verb
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Rivals Crystal Palace became the third Premier League club in four years to lift the trophy with Wednesday’s 1-0 win in the final against Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig, emulating West Ham (2023) and Chelsea (2025).—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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His biggest achievement at City has been winning the Premier League-Champions League-FA Cup treble in the 2022-23 season, emulating the feat of Manchester United in 1999.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Regardless, everyone approves of Kiana, with Zack good-naturedly parodying her sunglasses and the girls encouraging him to lock it down despite the tumultuous relationships their friend group seems to attract.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
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Influencer comedians like Madison Humphrey and Mitsy Sanderson have built large platforms parodying awkward moments.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Six and Six Private Islands Rah Gili is the first resort from Six & Six Private Islands, a new brand that highlights Maldivian identity rather than copying global trends.—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
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Bown and Keynes were careful not to advocate for copying the Chinese model wholesale.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Instead, pluralism, naturally associated with diversity and popular agency, was made into the cultural face of capitalism—it was branded as a false openness mimicking the free market, as a flattening that might cause art and art history to lose the threads of progress and quality.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Inspired by wetland plants like mangroves, 12-year-old Ella Barth and Esme Tsai’s prototype glass funnel uses layers of coffee filter paper, gravel, sand, ion exchange resin, charcoal and cotton, mimicking a natural filtration process to help rid local tap water of its chalky taste.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Hilton's campaign then shared Steyer's post on X, mocking the Democrat.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
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Underneath the topmost layer (a user clicking through a browser), a comprehensive E2E setup involves mocking production endpoints, intercepting network requests, seeding databases, making precise assertions at every layer of the stack and integrating tightly with CI pipelines.—
Ethan Pronev,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Young musicians frequently attempted to impress him by reproducing familiar Miles Davis styles.—
Bill Fischer,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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The association said the releases are not a sustainable solution to prevent smallmouth bass from reproducing and threaten a critical fund used to operate, maintain and invest in hydropower and transmission facilities.—
Dorany Pineda,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Every generation eventually rewrites George Washington, which tells you less about Washington than about the country doing the rewriting.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
30 May 2026
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Pritzker has proposed a social media tax projected to bring in about $200 million from large tech companies doing business in Illinois.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Inspired by a wild village league where livestock are awarded as prizes, Suchao has become so popular that other provinces are now replicating its model.—
Reagan Yip,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
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Then, as England’s defenders desperately appealed for handball, Maradona somewhat unwisely celebrated by repeatedly raising his left fist to the crowd, replicating his decisive touch.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitating. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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