ape 1 of 3

as in to imitate
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior was caught aping the substitute teacher's thick accent

Synonyms & Similar Words

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ape

2 of 3

adjective

ape

3 of 3

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word ape distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of ape are copy, imitate, mimic, and mock. While all these words mean "to make something so that it resembles an existing thing," ape may suggest presumptuous, slavish, or inept imitating of a superior original.

American fashion designers aped their European colleagues

When is it sensible to use copy instead of ape?

The words copy and ape 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

Where would imitate be a reasonable alternative to ape?

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

imitate a poet's style

When might mimic be a better fit than ape?

The words mimic and ape are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation.

pupils mimicking their teacher

When could mock be used to replace ape?

While the synonyms mock and ape are close in meaning, 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 ape
Verb
The animation perfectly apes the style of the cartoons of the '50s and Alan Cumming's overly energetic performance is perfect for the character. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025 Although victory for Simion is much more likely than for Poland’s right-wing candidates, Europe is now facing the prospect that two of Ukraine’s neighbors could by next month be led by presidents who are hostile towards Brussels and aping a MAGA-style politics. Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
Adjective
Every hominin species in the fossil record has its own unique mix of familiar human traits and more ape-like ones, shaped by their environments and lifestyles. Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 30 Mar. 2020 Walking upright on two legs is considered a human trait that separates us from our ape relatives, like chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 2 Apr. 2020
Noun
The Calls of Bonobos: Hundreds of hours of recordings suggest that the apes can generate meaning by stringing sounds together in pairs. Gennaro Tomma, New York Times, 1 May 2025 All apes have two types of muscle fibers: slow twitch and fast twitch. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ape
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ape
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
Adjective
  • Based on Roth’s fictitious trailer of the same name that appeared in Grindhouse (2007), Thanksgiving takes place in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where a masked maniac terrorizes the residents one year after a Black Friday riot ended in tragedy.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 19 May 2025
  • And yet our maniac coach is playing everyone too many minutes, including the injury prone players.
    James L. Edwards III, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • By never breaking the anthropoid conceit — keeping Williams a chimp from working-class childhood obscurity to adult pop-stardom — Better Man evolves into the most honest and exploratory showbiz movie ever made.
    Armond White, National Review, 10 Jan. 2025
  • But thanks to a meager fossil record, the question of where this first anthropoid was born has remained open.
    Rachel Preiser, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Verb
  • The company is emulating a strategy recently put into place by rival Comcast.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 June 2025
  • But this time Alcaraz emulated Novak Djokovic’s feat from the 2021 final at Roland-Garros, when the now 24-time major winner fought back from two sets down to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas.
    Jerome Pugmire, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • But that was before Watkins suffered a season-ending ACL tear and before UConn star Paige Bueckers went absolutely berserk, scoring 40 in the Sweet 16.
    Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025
  • The dissolve to a commercial break a moment later was silent, with no applause; the discourse the following week was predictably berserk.
    Vulture Staff, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • This poser is hard to work through when we are only given the text.
    Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 14 Jan. 2025
  • After the release of Elden Ring, a famously difficult bestseller, Musk posted a screenshot of his character, but his build instantly exposed him as a poser.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Wafting down the normally quiet halls were the sounds of whistles, shouting— and the unmistakable smell of a skunk.
    Patrick Salland, Kansas City Star, 5 June 2025
  • Until then, the best chance to see them is at the skunk training demonstrations in The Loft at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
    Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • Not to be redistributed, copied, or modified in any way.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2025
  • Gaddis copied documents onto a flash drive and shared it with an unnamed intermediary, the lawsuit says, and the next day the Tampa Bay Times wrote about the plans.
    Kate Payne, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ape. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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