1
as in followers
a person who adopts the appearance or behavior of another especially in an obvious way
an Elvis imitator in a sequinned jumpsuit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in performers
a person who imitates another's voice and mannerisms for comic effect
that comedian is a hilarious imitator of a surprising array of current celebrities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imitators
Swimbaits, stick baits, creature baits, crawfish imitators, and big ribbontail worms will all catch fish on a Texas rig.
—
Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
For decades, Gallup’s company and its imitators improved their techniques.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
Along the way, the festival has outlasted many imitators and weathered shifting food trends by staying nimble.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
The imitators are increasingly convincing, especially as AI image and video generators get better by the day.
—John Whyte, STAT, 17 Feb. 2026
That's the beloved appetizer consisting of six yellow peppers stuffed with shrimp that family matriarch Carmen Murguia brought to California from the border town of Mexicali, creating what may be the area’s most popular Mexican dish and inspiring countless imitators.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Michtom didn’t bother to patent his invention; the imitators merely spurred interest.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The popularity of products like Meta Ray-Bans has opened up a new market of imitators who are in an arms race to make their smart glasses as ethically dubious as possible, perhaps with a little help from AI or facial recognition software.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 28 Jan. 2026
Although Rudolph’s concrete architecture was more complex and soulful than that of many of his imitators, that difference was often overlooked.
—Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 13 Jan. 2026
Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
For decades, Gallup’s company and its imitators improved their techniques.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
Along the way, the festival has outlasted many imitators and weathered shifting food trends by staying nimble.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
The imitators are increasingly convincing, especially as AI image and video generators get better by the day.
—John Whyte, STAT, 17 Feb. 2026
That's the beloved appetizer consisting of six yellow peppers stuffed with shrimp that family matriarch Carmen Murguia brought to California from the border town of Mexicali, creating what may be the area’s most popular Mexican dish and inspiring countless imitators.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Michtom didn’t bother to patent his invention; the imitators merely spurred interest.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The popularity of products like Meta Ray-Bans has opened up a new market of imitators who are in an arms race to make their smart glasses as ethically dubious as possible, perhaps with a little help from AI or facial recognition software.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 28 Jan. 2026
Although Rudolph’s concrete architecture was more complex and soulful than that of many of his imitators, that difference was often overlooked.
—Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitators
Noun
-
Despite a massive group of followers cascading down and surrounding the royal couple, one beachgoer went viral after she couldn't be bothered to dismiss the UV index for the day.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Reese Witherspoon went viral last week — nearly five million views on Instagram and countless more when her comments were shared across platforms — for suggesting that her followers embrace and learn how to use artificial intelligence.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Alaska, Hawaiian are consistent performers The AQR also singled out Alaska Airlines as the steadiest performer in the industry.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Thousands took to the streets, and police responded by using rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse the protests, in a show of force that carried echoes of 1956.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
-
But travel through this stretch of the West Coast on the trail of the American writer and there are echoes of his world all around you.—
Alexandra Genova,
TheWeek,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Upstairs, impressionists, writers, socialites, and painters who moved in Proust’s orbit, from Sarah Bernhardt to Emile Zola and Claude Monet, lent their names to a room or suite.—
Lindsey Tramuta,
Robb Report,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That burden, along with the conventions of the true-crime genre, not to mention that of theater in service of a political point, sometimes hampers the interpretive space of the actors and the creative team, who have to spend a lot of their time getting the facts and the history across.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Because that is what these characters, these actors, this ‘All American’ crew and staff are after eight beautiful, hard fought, seasons together.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Jokes about her standing within the LGBTQ community, and the countless drag impersonators who take up her likeness.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2026
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In other cases highlighted by TODAY, AI impersonators hawked treatments that were scientifically impossible.—
John Whyte,
STAT,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imitators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitators. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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