imitating

present participle of imitate
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of imitating One year later, Clooney, 65, is back at the Venice Film Festival for a spin in the spotlight on the opening night for a bit of life imitating art. Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 Slop is formulaic and impersonal, the aggregate of everything that is already imitating everything else. Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 Cohen created the character of Ali G for Channel 4’s The 11 O’Clock Show in 1998, playing a British suburbanite imitating urban, British Jamaican culture. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026 Even white people imitating Black people don’t talk like that anymore. Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 Krasner warned potential copycats who were thinking of imitating Hughes' behavior. Kelsie Cairns , Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2026 For an industry watching this unfold, the lesson is not that scarcity marketing is a clever new tactic worth imitating everywhere. Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Philip Sidney’s brackets provided a blueprint for elevated expression, and writers loved imitating him. Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026 The future of flooring, countertops, and walls isn’t about imitating nature. Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitating
Verb
  • Any remote hopes of the tourists making any sort of comeback and perhaps emulating Sri Lanka, another weak side, in 2024 by winning the final Test after losing the series in England were thrown out of the window by their own board.
    Paul Newman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Schofield suggested that Harry and Markle consider emulating the example set by William and Middleton.
    Ashley Hume , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The White House announced Arcade on social media with a series of animations parodying Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo loading screens.
    Lou Kesten, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Over two months, the protesters and their supporters – most who appeared to be digitally-savvy GenZ – used Instagram and Snapchat to connect, organize, and share countless reels parodying the government.
    Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • But installing a new system isn’t just copying and pasting a playbook; constant tweaks and adjustments are needed, especially when defenses start throwing curveballs.
    Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Don't start sending aggressive emails or copying numerous people on every message.
    William Phillips, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Although Craven’s touch is missing, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett honor his memory by mimicking his style while engraving their own slick mark.
    Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The 600-soldier 173rd Airborne Brigade, built to deploy wherever drones were needed, had been mimicking Ukrainian tactics and rapidly building its own systems to counter Russia and Iran-style threats.
    Konstantin Toropin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Mel Gibson apologized Monday after video surfaced showing the actor mocking a sign language interpreter.
    Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Mel Gibson has issued something like an apology after mocking an American Sign Language interpreter.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Without a constant flow of fresh human insight, synthetic models risk becoming increasingly sophisticated at reproducing what is already known.
    Abigail Stuart, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • To avoid reproducing a rentier economy dependent on transit fees and foreign concessions, the Syrian state must reinvest project revenues in local economies.
    Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But as Berman has been doing what Berman does, the city has changed around him.
    David Freedlander, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The new defensive coordinator made a name for himself by doing a lot with a little in Vegas.
    Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The show also pokes fun at the late 1990s and early 2000s liberal cultural consensus that was upheld in other popular culture of the time while also both replicating and subverting stereotypes of suburban Southern white Americans.
    Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2026
  • As for Greathouse replicating his CFP performances of two years ago … that feels like a reach, even for this hypothetical exercise.
    Pete Sampson, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Imitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitating. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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