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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
Upon returning to the stage, the performer — holding a drink in one hand — shows the audience his sore knuckles after the altercation and seemingly mocks the DJ. Natalia Cano, Billboard, 13 Aug. 2025 Lopez Benitez claimed one officer showed him a photo of his arrest and mocked him for crying. Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The California Post will launch in early 2026, and mock cover images show that the New York paper’s gossip section Page Six will make the move westward as well. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2025 Here are three teams that made an offer in our mock exercise. Jon MacHota, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2025
Noun
Most of the latest mock drafts have McNeeley going anywhere from pick No. 15 to No. 19. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 18 June 2025 Perfect for Any Occasion This frozen mock margarita isn’t just for Cinco de Mayo. Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for mock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mock
Verb
  • The original Scary Movie franchise parodied the teen-slasher flicks that were so abundant in the late ’90s and aughts.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
  • South Park’s Eric Cartman parodies Kirk in the episode by asking a college student a question, referencing Kirk’s viral debates on college campuses.
    Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The rapper also allegedly called Gables a homophobic slur and ridiculed his poor hearing.
    Mekishana Pierre Published, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • At a time when much of the media is bowing to Trump, the opening of the show’s new season ridiculed his megalomania, his intimidation of the media and his manhood.
    Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Yet, shortly after the district court granted plaintiffs' emergency motion for a temporary restraining order, defendants appear to have disobeyed it.
    Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2025
  • That is not one, but two Cleons on the run, while the one remaining Cleon is already disobeying Demerzel and is way too close to the Foundation Ambassador (and there’s the whole thing of him being put down in a few days).
    Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • During 1-on-1 drills, Morris lined up against London, looking to press the wideout as a faux defensive back.
    Hailey Hurst, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Key styles include knitted jacquard suiting and reversible coats lined with faux fur, satin pants, tweed suits, and modern pinstripes on chiffon.
    Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In some cases, scam victims have reached out to fraudsters on fake websites, which look legitimate, in hopes of recovering their funds.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Trump still puts himself on fake magazine covers for validation, but some version of his celebrity and influence — and the attendant and unnerving public scrutiny — is now available to anyone who wants it.
    Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Following Colbert’s ongoing jokes at the president’s expense, Trump has celebrated the talk show’s demise.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2025
  • What connects them is the cleverness of the writing and the ability of their actors to sell even the silliest of jokes.
    Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The platforms, which allow backers to fund a board game project in exchange for a future copy of the game, have been a significant source of revenue for publishers.
    Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
  • All the speculation about alternate dimensions and cloning characters to make a DCU copy of them were just rewritten with one retcon scene.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Although Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis had a cutthroat rivalry in Black Swan, life did not imitate art for the actresses, despite Darren Aronofsky‘s best attempts.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2025
  • The fake pool has been designed to imitate the uppermost twenty feet of the real one as closely as possible, down to the contours of its sides, which are made not from rock but from plastic foam sealed with fibreglass.
    Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mock. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.

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