as in mocking
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of
parodying a public figure's distinctive mannerisms takes particular talent
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Recent Examples of parodying
It's been 13 years since the last Scary Movie hit theaters in 2013, and the newest installment reverts to its roots in parodying a variety of movies and television shows.
—
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Regardless, everyone approves of Kiana, with Zack good-naturedly parodying her sunglasses and the girls encouraging him to lock it down despite the tumultuous relationships their friend group seems to attract.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Influencer comedians like Madison Humphrey and Mitsy Sanderson have built large platforms parodying awkward moments.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Heidecker — the mind behind projects including The Tim and Eric Show and On Cinema — has been parodying Jones for years.
—Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
The cliffhanger of the previous season, which saw Lister impregnated by his female self from an alternate universe, is dismissed with a pre-episode text crawl parodying Star Wars, which irreverently moved way too fast to read.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Mar. 2026
In response, track athlete Alysia Montaño crafted a video in conjunction with the New York Times, parodying Nike’s sponsor’s ad.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
These are the exact type of tried-and-true New Yorkers and New York hip-hop heads the Bodega Boys blew up by parodying with their frequently unhinged back-and-forth.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
After an extended bit featuring host Nikki Glaser parodying Nicole Kidman’s AMC ads, a very loose Snoop Dogg introduced, for some reason, the award for best podcast.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Regardless, everyone approves of Kiana, with Zack good-naturedly parodying her sunglasses and the girls encouraging him to lock it down despite the tumultuous relationships their friend group seems to attract.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Influencer comedians like Madison Humphrey and Mitsy Sanderson have built large platforms parodying awkward moments.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Heidecker — the mind behind projects including The Tim and Eric Show and On Cinema — has been parodying Jones for years.
—Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
The cliffhanger of the previous season, which saw Lister impregnated by his female self from an alternate universe, is dismissed with a pre-episode text crawl parodying Star Wars, which irreverently moved way too fast to read.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Mar. 2026
In response, track athlete Alysia Montaño crafted a video in conjunction with the New York Times, parodying Nike’s sponsor’s ad.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
These are the exact type of tried-and-true New Yorkers and New York hip-hop heads the Bodega Boys blew up by parodying with their frequently unhinged back-and-forth.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
After an extended bit featuring host Nikki Glaser parodying Nicole Kidman’s AMC ads, a very loose Snoop Dogg introduced, for some reason, the award for best podcast.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parodying
Verb
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The intended insult was Dorit’s payback after Sutton spent the season mocking her costar’s wallet size.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
12 June 2026
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Trump has become obsessed with seeking vengeance against his political foes and has abandoned his promise to bring prices down, even mocking the nation’s affordability crisis.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Verb
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As a 7-year-old, I’d entertain my father’s friends, at their weekly pickup game at a Bronx barn-house gymnasium, by imitating his game face—bottom lip jutting, eyes scowling.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
14 June 2026
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Carol Channing reduced Shalit to tears of laughter with her tale of a London dinner party with Lady Astor and Sir Benjamin Harrison by imitating the latter.—
Chris Koseluk,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2026
Verb
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New York survived the scramble by controlling the glass and doing just enough at the free-throw line.—
Dan Zaksheske,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Several have interest in doing so now.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
Verb
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In addition to the core of the movie, Scary Movie 6 also includes credit sequences that continued spoofing a few flicks.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
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The Paramount-Miramax flick is the latest followup since 2013’s Scary Movie 5, spoofing recent horror fare like Sinners, The Substance and Jordan Peele’s Nope and Get Out.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Researchers in Australia have developed a neuromorphic vision chip that can see, process, and store visual information in a single device, mimicking how the human eye and brain work together.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
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Trump regularly regales audiences with his prowess as a dealmaker by recounting conversations he's had with Macron about trade irritants, mimicking Macron's responses in an exaggerated accent.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parodying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parodying. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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