mimes 1 of 2

plural of mime
1
as in performers
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

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2
as in gestures
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

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mimes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of mime
as in imitates
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

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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 mimes
Noun
The idea is that as an operator mimes picking up a pile of rocks, the arm would generate a force in response, as if the operator could feel the heaviness of the rocks, confirming that the excavator is indeed picking them up. — New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2026 In bodycam footage released by police from the early hours of March 19, 2025, Natland emerges topless from his room and mimes a shooting gesture at a firearms officer before being slammed against a wall. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 29 July 2026 Demoustier holds her nose and mimes gagging. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 13 May 2026 In person, the audience sips cocktails and witnesses top-notch side acts that cleanse the palate between improv blocks, with a mix of nationally touring stand-up, mimes, musicians and more. — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026 Rae’s setup was meticulous, maximalist, and totally unified—the boa made of hundred-dollar bills, the backup dancers who looked vaguely like mimes, the scaffolding that suggested Moulin Rouge! — Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026 From ringmasters and lions to clowns and mimes, everyone went all out with their party attire. — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026 Expertise in using one’s body (think dancers or mimes). — Big Think, 6 Apr. 2026 Instead, someone hands me a wooden pole with a piece of foam taped around one end and mimes poking the machine in its chest. — James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mimes
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
  • We had been told not to point, lest our gestures attract a sniper’s bullets.
    — Nicolas Niarchos, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The gestures of moving, being, and breathing coalesced for Kristin as this poem, which emerged from the state of presence that is meditation-in-action.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Constantin Brâncuși’s marble-and-limestone sculpture L’oiseau (1923/1947), for example, commands the space, while Wolfgang Tillmans’s 2022 photograph tree filling window imitates an open window in a closed space.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Over the weekend, movie-theater chain AMC Entertainment accused Robinhood of creating an unauthorized market that imitates trading in AMC shares through its overseas platform without the company’s approval.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Talkative characters like the froggish Mallow and even Bowser himself are motor-mouthed and sarcastic, nigglingly mocking Mario for his inability to speak in anything other than nods and pantomimes.
    — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Disney then filmed Kerry's movements, reactions, and pantomimes, complete with props but without any dialogue to work with, over the course of nine months.
    — Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Check what a website actually copies A website's Copy button can place different text on your clipboard than what appears on the page.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Someone else copies them for free and undercuts their pricing before the training run has even paid back.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • His high-fashion clowns, bears and other quirks always deliver.
    — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The gasoline shortage has become such a feature of daily life that even clowns at Moscow’s circus have cracked jokes about it.
    — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • On Wednesday, President Laura Fernández inaugurated a mega-prison that emulates the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) that has become a symbol of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's security strategy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Nvidia, which surrendered $589 billion in a day to DeepSeek's legend, is the company DeepSeek now depends on and emulates.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Like a medieval castle, where lords slept, blacksmiths pounded, soldiers trained, mummers mummed, and farmers sold their produce, the 21st century armory will be a mixed-use project in the truest sense.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mimes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mimes. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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