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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imitating
James said while walking through the venue, imitating her excitement.
—
Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
The people who are imitating Walter Cronkite don’t have his ethic.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
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
The two are clearly enamored with each other, life imitating art imitating life.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
The recognition as an intangible cultural heritage comes as the country tries to combat those imitating its food.
—Meghan Pryce, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
This is a case of the macro imitating the micro.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 8 Dec. 2025
In a bit of art imitating life, the film’s premiere at the 2019 Berlinale coincided with authoritarian president Jair Bolsonaro taking office in Brazil.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2025
Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
The people who are imitating Walter Cronkite don’t have his ethic.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
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
The two are clearly enamored with each other, life imitating art imitating life.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
The recognition as an intangible cultural heritage comes as the country tries to combat those imitating its food.
—Meghan Pryce, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
This is a case of the macro imitating the micro.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 8 Dec. 2025
In a bit of art imitating life, the film’s premiere at the 2019 Berlinale coincided with authoritarian president Jair Bolsonaro taking office in Brazil.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 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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Humanlike robot interaction In human-robot interaction, most robots currently respond reactively, mimicking expressions only after humans act, which feels artificial.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
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These medications work by mimicking a hormone that targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake.—
Lauren Manaker,
SELF,
14 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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China, by contrast, has spent decades replicating the Cold War strategies of American soft power and turning them against the United States.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
14 Jan. 2026
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Robert Sanchez is in strong form and is no stranger to being asked to play out from the back, but replicating what Rosenior has had Penders do at Strasbourg would be taking it to a new level.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitating. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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