mimic 1 of 3

mimic

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adjective

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mimic

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noun

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as in mime
an actor in a story performed silently and entirely by body movements a mimic in black clothes and white facial makeup

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word mimic distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of mimic are ape, copy, imitate, and mock. While all these words mean "to make something so that it resembles an existing thing," mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation.

pupils mimicking their teacher

Where would ape be a reasonable alternative to mimic?

While in some cases nearly identical to mimic, ape may suggest presumptuous, slavish, or inept imitating of a superior original.

American fashion designers aped their European colleagues

When would copy be a good substitute for mimic?

The words copy and mimic can be used in similar contexts, but copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible.

copied the painting and sold the fake as an original

When could imitate be used to replace mimic?

The meanings of imitate and mimic largely overlap; however, imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation.

imitate a poet's style

In what contexts can mock take the place of mimic?

In some situations, the words mock and mimic are roughly equivalent. However, mock usually implies imitation with derision.

mocking a vain man's pompous manner

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 mimic
Verb
Spread out across nearly 100 acres, the hotel’s lush gardens mimic the maximalist sensibilities of the interior design also dreamt up by Bensley. Liz Provencher, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2025 The bitcoin treasury play that lifted Strategy’s market cap past $80 billion is now being mimicked by meme stock companies, media firms, and multinational conglomerates. Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 31 May 2025
Adjective
Sting is also a mimic, able to copy Charlotte’s whistle, even though, as the slightly creepy would-be scientist living upstairs tells her, spiders don’t have vocal cords. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024 These JLab earbuds come in 16 colors, including seven that closely mimic skin tones. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 8 May 2024
Noun
Future studies may also explore whether other highly skilled vocal mimics, such as lyrebirds, share similar neural structures, offering further clues into the evolution of speech. Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025 Budgerigars are both impressive vocal mimics and also have complex vocalizations called warbles that are a mix of noisy and harmonic calls. Ars Technica, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mimic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mimic
Verb
  • Life is not imitating art for The White Lotus stars Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood.
    Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 4 June 2025
  • One example is the achievement of Heinz ketchup in validating its market dominance by showing how art imitates life, and AI imitates humans.
    John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • A lot of people emulate some sort of legacy in order to shake the purse strings of their audience.
    Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2025
  • Who wants their grandchildren to emulate such limited vocabulary, negative language and divisive rhetoric?
    Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Alvarez took batting practice on the field Thursday afternoon and is scheduled to face minor-league pitchers in a simulated game at Daikin Park on Friday.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • Came in yesterday, got work, got shooting in, got some simulated game shots.
    Tony East, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • The word was likely imitative of the deep humming sound male bees make.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
  • The results suggested that felines may have imitative skills and the ability to recognize behavioral similarities.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • At times, Expedition 33 feels like a twisted fairy tale, something akin to Alice in Wonderland but far more French (complete with mimes and marionettes).
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Back in Colombia in the 1990s, then-mayor Antanas Mockus replaced 1,800 traffic cops with just 20 mimes, who used silent performance to mock reckless drivers and praise good behavior.
    Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 7 May 2025
Verb
  • The spaghetti example later became well-known enough that Smith parodied it almost a year later in February 2024.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2025
  • Content Creators And Brand Ambassadors Gstaad Guy parades in Loro Piana, and the European Kid parodies luxury culture.
    Matteo Atti, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Many voters in Argentina believed that firm action was needed to correct course on Argentina’s deeply unstable economy; now, other leaders in Latin America, Europe, and the U.S. are seeking to copy Milei’s chainsaw approach to public spending.
    Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • Government officials believe the impersonator used artificial intelligence to copy Wiles' voice for calls.
    Jordan King Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Koozies can be made from polyester, vinyl, or even leather, but they are most often made from neoprene, a type of synthetic rubber.
    Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 June 2025
  • Unlike traditional identity fraud, where someone steals an individual’s real information, synthetic fraud involves creating a completely new identity using a mix of real and fake data.
    Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mimic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mimic. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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