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
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Recent Examples of imitating
Trump celebrates our nation’s founding while imitating tyrant King George III, argues columnist Jackie Calmes.
—
James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
So art is indeed imitating art.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Jan. 2026
Two hours later, the trainer — now in a foam Michelin-man neck-to-heel suit — crouches near the box, imitating a quiet intruder.
—Megan Sauer
tasia Jensen, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026
Users appeared to be imitating and showing off to one another.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2026
Lopez said, imitating comments she’s seen on the internet.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
James said while walking through the venue, imitating her excitement.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
With Jay Kelly, George Clooney experienced a bit of art imitating life, thanks to the Netflix film’s co-writer/director Noah Baumbach.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Dec. 2025
So this is life imitating art to some extent, but my grandmother's name is Caravita, which means Dear Life.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 26 Dec. 2025
James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
So art is indeed imitating art.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Jan. 2026
Two hours later, the trainer — now in a foam Michelin-man neck-to-heel suit — crouches near the box, imitating a quiet intruder.
—Megan Sauer
tasia Jensen, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026
Users appeared to be imitating and showing off to one another.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2026
Lopez said, imitating comments she’s seen on the internet.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
James said while walking through the venue, imitating her excitement.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
With Jay Kelly, George Clooney experienced a bit of art imitating life, thanks to the Netflix film’s co-writer/director Noah Baumbach.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Dec. 2025
So this is life imitating art to some extent, but my grandmother's name is Caravita, which means Dear Life.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 26 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitating
Verb
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Modern examples, however, have come a long way in emulating the look.—
Shagun Khare,
Martha Stewart,
10 Jan. 2026
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The team behind the new study believes that emulating this approach can be beneficial across various fields today.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
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After an extended bit featuring host Nikki Glaser parodying Nicole Kidman’s AMC ads, a very loose Snoop Dogg introduced, for some reason, the award for best podcast.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
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The scene came in a fictional segment parodying Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead in which Maggie defends her architectural talents after her daycare teacher punishes her for making beautiful structures from building blocks.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Instead of compressing at the pixel level, the algorithm appears to be copying and manipulating objects from multiple images, while maintaining a degree of visual continuity.—
Alex Reisner,
The Atlantic,
9 Jan. 2026
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Rather than chasing trends or copying what already works elsewhere, Salomon is investing in research and testing to guide their development process.—
Cory Smith,
Outside,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Opinion journalism may be the most influential literary form in the United States, and novelists and poets have taken to mimicking political speech to engage with readers and grow their audiences.—
Dan Sheehan,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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Finally, there are also more advanced light meters, which can cost hundreds of dollars or more and provide more sophisticated measurements for growers looking to maximize yields by more closely mimicking natural light.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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During Glaser's interview with Stern, the shock jock praised her for mocking CBS News despite the Golden Globes airing on CBS.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
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Ricky Gervais has hosted the Golden Globes five times, making Hollywood sweat with his take-no-prisoners approach to jokes mocking showbiz.—
William Earl,
Variety,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have unlocked a potential new treatment to target an incurable form of childhood cancer with the help of a fast-reproducing pest known for swarming kitchen produce.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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The motif showcases the stories of the family that previously lived at the palace — often reproducing animals such as eagles, lions, dogs, peacocks and griffins.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Upon doing some research for more formal choices to match the nickname, the mom came across Margaret, which had a connection to her husband's grandmother.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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No New Yorker should have to fear losing access to health care -- and no nurse should be asked to accept less pay, fewer benefits or less dignity for doing lifesaving work.—
Noelle Lilley,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What is consistent is that teachers are creating tools adapted to their students, rather than replicating generic software produced in the larger world.—
Dan Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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But while a four-string electric bass can descend to 41 Hz, chances are that most speakers are only bumping and rattling in an attempt to generate such low frequencies, much less accurately replicating the timbre and voice of the instrument itself.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitating. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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