Definition of mimenext
1
as in performer
an actor in a story performed silently and entirely by body movements that annoying mime on the sidewalk is pretending to be in an invisible box again

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in gesture
a movement of the body or limbs that expresses or emphasizes an idea or feeling the speech-impaired patient had to convey his wishes with mime or scribbled notes

Synonyms & Similar Words

mime

2 of 2

verb

as in to imitate
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior as a joke, Eric knelt by the dinner table and began miming a dog begging for food

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 mime
Noun
The actors’ movements directly correspond to some of these voiceovers, but at other times the connection is more abstract, such as when Wu mimes gorging on a large bag of packing peanuts. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 18 May 2026 Demoustier holds her nose and mimes gagging. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Verb
Pressing my best sad face and hands against the window, I’d mime a plea for rescue to passing motorists. — Lisa Liu Grady, Christian Science Monitor, 9 July 2026 Müldür immediately ran off towards the assistant referee, pointing at Almirón and miming the action the Atlanta United forward had done. — George Edwards, New York Times, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for mime
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mime
Noun
  • That suggests that the filmmaker and performer is not on the general public’s radar in as big a way as the breathless media coverage suggests.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Her crime was objecting, out loud, when another performer railed against Israel from a stage.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In Lepecki’s account, the gesture again demonstrated that stillness in dance always vibrates with subtle motion.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The gesture is clearly meant to enlarge the novel’s moral field.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The slow exchange with oxygen is imitated with micro-oxygenation technology — essentially, blowing bubbles through the wine.
    — Peter Hahn, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Speaking of the oversized, the collection’s Handloom Cardigan fits the bill but spares you from imitating a balloon, courtesy of those vertical stripes (also known as the oldest optical trick in the fashion book).
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The tension between the two boils over into a confrontation which only Eisenhower can adjudicate, a task complicated by his own arrogant British subordinate, a wiry and dislikable General Bernard Montgomery - played with a villainous verve bordering on the pantomime by Damian Lewis.
    — Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 29 May 2026
  • Francis proceeds with an over-the-top childbirth pantomime that culminates in the new dad being egged on to cut the rope umbilical cord.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 May 2026
Verb
  • Nuclear fusion attempts to copy the physical reactions that power the sun.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In September 2026, news outlets Wired and 404 Media analyzed data that hackers had copied from one Flock camera.
    — Henry F. Fradella, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The brand featured a thematic clown mascot and the beloved product was sold in famously reusable glassware.
    — Joey Skladany, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026
  • What followed were Zoom-inclusive mediation meetings, the revelation of tens of thousands of dollars of debt, and something about clown school.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Most Marylanders know that gerrymandering is wrong, and both polls show a majority of voters aren’t ready to emulate the bad behavior of other states and embrace gerrymandering.
    — Colin Pascal, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Horton showed up to his audition and instinctively tried to emulate Tanter’s signature baritone voice.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Some really solid casting there in evoking, but not mimicking, either Faist or Abbott.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In one interview, police brought him back to the home and filmed him recreating the scene, mimicking grabbing his gun, finding Causse, firing off the shots that killed Miller in the hallway, and then calling 9-1-1.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mime.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mime. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster