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mock

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adjective

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mock

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word mock distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of mock are ape, copy, imitate, and mimic. While all these words mean "to make something so that it resembles an existing thing," mock usually implies imitation with derision.

mocking a vain man's pompous manner

When is ape a more appropriate choice than mock?

The synonyms ape and mock are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 mock?

While the synonyms copy and mock are close in meaning, copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible.

copied the painting and sold the fake as an original

Where would imitate be a reasonable alternative to mock?

Although the words imitate and mock have much in common, imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation.

imitate a poet's style

When is it sensible to use mimic instead of mock?

While in some cases nearly identical to mock, mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation.

pupils mimicking their teacher

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 mock
Verb
Memes circulated on social media, amplified by bots, mocking Heard for crying in court and calling her crazy. Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 16 June 2025 However, 75 Democrats voted for the measure even after House Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York railed against it and mocked Evans for filing it. Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 16 June 2025
Adjective
His name has moved around quite a bit on mock drafts, seeming to settle anywhere from just after the lottery to more in the middle of the first round, the 16-25 range. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 24 June 2025 The Ringer placed Queen at No. 8 on its draft board, while ESPN’s most recent mock draft projected him to be selected No. 15 overall. Sam Jane, Baltimore Sun, 24 June 2025
Noun
The Texans were able to snag him in the third round, and many mocks had the receiver going at the beginning of the second. Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2025 This guy was rated higher in most mocks than the DT Miami took. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mock
Verb
  • Fun factoid: Don Adams as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) talking on the shoe phone has been parodied by many comedians over the years.
    Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • Dawn of the Dead has been parodied and referenced many times since, including Shaun of the Dead, the video game series Dead Rising, and a remake that's good enough to appear later on this list, but none of its successors quite captured the level of dread and malaise the original does.
    James Grebey, Time, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has ridiculed Red Bull's protest, which challenged George Russell's maiden victory of the 2025 season in Canada.
    Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
  • San Francisco has been consistently ridiculed for its rise in homeless population and videos of open-air drug use on the city’s streets.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • Thousands of people were arrested by the LAPD and other agencies for failure to disperse, disobeying a lawful order and other minor offenses following the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but both the Los Angeles city attorney’s office and former Dist.
    Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
  • Federal judges ruled Thursday that Alabama intentionally discriminated against Black residents when the state disobeyed court orders to draw a second Black-majority congressional district.
    Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • There are epic style moments in the new series, including one segment where Ashanti wears a white faux fur coat.
    Nadja Sayej, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • Amid all the showmanship on Thursday, hosted by a faux Austin Powers, there will be retro music and dancing.
    Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • Already, misinformation campaigns and fake news challenge our ability to discern truth.
    Sahar Hashmi, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • Avoiding secondary scams Marilyn’s story also highlights a second danger of fake support numbers and remote access scams.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • Sports officials have been the target of jokes and ire from fans for as long as sports have existed.
    Chris Vannini, New York Times, 18 June 2025
  • But Reese isn’t letting herself be treated as the victim of the joke.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • Luminate reports that during the most recent tracking period — which is when people learned of Wilson’s passing — the song sold just under 4,200 copies.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • Selling 95,000 copies of DESIRE: UNLEASH in the U.S., the boy band also scored a No. 3 debut on the Billboard 200, marking its eighth entry on the chart and its fifth top 10 album.
    Stephen Daw, Billboard, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • But as these systems gained the ability to imitate reasoning, planning, and decision-making among options, emergent behaviors began raising red flags.
    Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • Some fireworks transcend the standard pops and booms to imitate a non-fiery object.
    Ethan Wolin, Sacbee.com, 28 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mock. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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