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
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of imitating
And that is exactly why the fixation on recreating her look and imitating her to a T is so misguided.
—
Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
The indie movie, which runs a tight 1 hour and 21 minutes, is a perfect example of life imitating art — minus the murder.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Hunters try to reverse nature by imitating hen calls and having males go to the females.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
The Jall Wake Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock uses this science by imitating the sun’s gradual rise and, when used over time, can even ease your circadian rhythm into a pattern.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
In critiquing Trump on social media, Newsom has taken to imitating the president’s tone, trolling Trump in his all-caps style.
—Meg Kinnard, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
Nearby, 15-year-old Aguara leapt through the air, clearing an obstacle course while imitating the precise movements of a Belgian breed dog.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Hemp products imitating the designs of popular children’s snacks have become so common that the Federal Trade Commission told manufacturers to stop in 2023.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 19 Feb. 2026
The most graphic pieces incorporate up to 300 different patchwork elements, imitating traditional quilting motifs.
—Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 9 Feb. 2026
Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
The indie movie, which runs a tight 1 hour and 21 minutes, is a perfect example of life imitating art — minus the murder.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Hunters try to reverse nature by imitating hen calls and having males go to the females.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
The Jall Wake Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock uses this science by imitating the sun’s gradual rise and, when used over time, can even ease your circadian rhythm into a pattern.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
In critiquing Trump on social media, Newsom has taken to imitating the president’s tone, trolling Trump in his all-caps style.
—Meg Kinnard, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
Nearby, 15-year-old Aguara leapt through the air, clearing an obstacle course while imitating the precise movements of a Belgian breed dog.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Hemp products imitating the designs of popular children’s snacks have become so common that the Federal Trade Commission told manufacturers to stop in 2023.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 19 Feb. 2026
The most graphic pieces incorporate up to 300 different patchwork elements, imitating traditional quilting motifs.
—Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitating
Verb
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The Switch 2 can use this tool to improve graphics by emulating a docked experience for original Switch games, but Nintendo notes there are drawbacks.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
17 Mar. 2026
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Growing up raised by her father in South Carolina, Lambert had to teach herself how to do her hair, often emulating the styles of her aunts and older cousins.—
Noelle Lilley,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The cliffhanger of the previous season, which saw Lister impregnated by his female self from an alternate universe, is dismissed with a pre-episode text crawl parodying Star Wars, which irreverently moved way too fast to read.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
14 Mar. 2026
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In response, track athlete Alysia Montaño crafted a video in conjunction with the New York Times, parodying Nike’s sponsor’s ad.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Apple has always taken a unique approach to the design of its office apps, rather than copying Microsoft 365's ribbon-style convention like most competitors.—
Edward Mendelson,
PC Magazine,
19 Mar. 2026
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To be clear, do yourself a favor and don’t ruin your March by copying a pasting a Golden bracket.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These systems can detect naval mines and trigger them safely by mimicking the movement and acoustic signals of large ships.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
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Even the cabin bathrooms inspire, with their forest-mimicking color palette, ceiling-to-floor windows, and oodles of storage space for all my toiletries and make-up.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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True, Shakespeare had added the characters of Touchstone and Jacques, thus mocking the sport of love and misting it in disillusionment; but most of the plot is pure Lodge.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
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The situation reached a breaking point when Sullivan started mocking and insulting Morgan’s wife, the journalist and author Celia Walden.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Despite religious and phenotypic differences, people around the western Mediterranean Sea have been interacting, trading, warring, migrating, and reproducing together for centuries.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
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Vexingly, the war with Iran is reproducing in macrocosm what those wars taught in microcosm.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the midst of a statistically impressive season, LaMelo Ball is doing it all for the Charlotte Hornets.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Mar. 2026
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With its stunning natural surroundings, Lake Como is an idyllic destination to explore with a dog, and the Edition makes doing so in style entirely possible.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His young nephew provided the entertainment, whacking a plastic ball around with a toy club on the lawn, replicating pro golf mannerisms a little too closely.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2026
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In December 1995 the FDA approved the first protease inhibitor, Saquinavir, which actually stopped the virus from replicating.—
Steve Bender,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitating. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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