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
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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
Maybe that was just art-making imitating life.
—
Thomas Page, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
How does this help democracy, imitating what Texas is doing?
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
In an instance of art imitating life, the film's soundtrack also achieved great success as the highest-debuting soundtrack of 2025 on the Billboard 200.
—Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2025
Now almost two, Arthur has been imitating his mother’s movements.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
And in Ukraine, youngsters tussle in make-believe war, imitating soldiers as the real conflict rages on.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 5 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
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
But life imitating art is more intriguing.
—Cullen Murphy, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025
Thomas Page, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
How does this help democracy, imitating what Texas is doing?
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
In an instance of art imitating life, the film's soundtrack also achieved great success as the highest-debuting soundtrack of 2025 on the Billboard 200.
—Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2025
Now almost two, Arthur has been imitating his mother’s movements.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
And in Ukraine, youngsters tussle in make-believe war, imitating soldiers as the real conflict rages on.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 5 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
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
But life imitating art is more intriguing.
—Cullen Murphy, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitating
Verb
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From past to present, Brandy remains a style icon worth emulating.—
Mecca Pryor,
Essence,
9 Oct. 2025
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Various intoxicating products are marketed in colorful packaging emulating popular candy brands.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After the relationship between Swift and Kelce went public, Pomeroy made a video parodying a day in her life, hearing her name around Kansas City.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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Meta/Facebook has rolled out engaging bots, parodying famous personas such as Jane Austen; Snapchat has offered a chatbot to individual users.—
John Wihbey,
Big Think,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Funyyzo Wide-Leg Pants Inspired by Kelly Clarkson Or, consider copying Clarkson’s red-hot look with these vibrant pants that have amassed more than 5,100 perfect ratings.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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Marasco has accused Swift and her co-defendants of copying her poetry in lyrics and visuals from multiple albums, including , , and .—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Fabrics have scratched surfaces, mimicking digital glitches.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Sustainable gardening is an environmentally friendly approach that protects the earth and its inhabitants by mimicking natural ecosystems, minimizing waste and conserving resources.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Some are clearly ironic, but the line between blind devotion and mocking derision is seriously mangled.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
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The video, which has racked up tens of millions of views on social media, was widely interpreted as mocking the death of Kirk, who was assassinated by a shot through the neck last month.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, the ad selects and splices certain lines from the five-minute address rather than playing the remarks in the order they were delivered or reproducing the speech in its entirety.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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Regular vacuuming is an easy way to prevent carpet beetles from reproducing in your home.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hi hi hello, how is everyone doing this lovely Sunday?—
Rosalind Bowling,
Nashville Tennessean,
26 Oct. 2025
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In Atlanta in 2018, young tight end Austin Hooper learned that Paulsen was also doing scouting reports on tight ends who were upcoming draft prospects for the staff and for his agent.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By replicating the visual fidelity of reality, retina E-paper brings science closer to creating virtual worlds that the human eye cannot distinguish from the real one.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
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From musicians and photographers to designers and artists, the store is a source of inspiration for New York City creatives—not for replicating designs but for creating new ideas.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitating. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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