as in imitating
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior
was caught aping the substitute teacher's thick accent
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Recent Examples of aping
Trying To Avoid The Generic However, having minimal buttons is hardly an original design strategy when so many EVs have followed this route (aping Tesla).
—
James Morris, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The failure of Hollywood’s first take on Godzilla, which reimagined this towering icon into a skittering lizard that was clearly aping more from Jurassic Park than any of the kaiju films that came before it, positioned the start of Godzilla’s third era as something of a return to form.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Critics accused him of aping Farage’s rhetoric and warned that Labour could lose votes to the left in trying to court the right.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Ryback shows the younger man's relaxation-as-growth around impressive set pieces, including a segment of aping famed concert pianists Alfred Brendel and Glenn Gould as well as Hoffman's blistering rant after a visit to Dachau.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2025
James Morris, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The failure of Hollywood’s first take on Godzilla, which reimagined this towering icon into a skittering lizard that was clearly aping more from Jurassic Park than any of the kaiju films that came before it, positioned the start of Godzilla’s third era as something of a return to form.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Critics accused him of aping Farage’s rhetoric and warned that Labour could lose votes to the left in trying to court the right.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Ryback shows the younger man's relaxation-as-growth around impressive set pieces, including a segment of aping famed concert pianists Alfred Brendel and Glenn Gould as well as Hoffman's blistering rant after a visit to Dachau.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aping
Verb
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Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, previously said in a statement that accounts imitating other people go against their terms of service and are removed when flagged.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
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Broncos fans have rallied around their backup quarterback, with thousands of fans changing their social media avatars to a picture of Stidham’s face, photoshopped with sunglasses and headphones, imitating a LeBron James meme.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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From media mogul to fashion icon, Oprah Winfrey’s legacy remains one worth emulating, season after season.—
Mecca Pryor,
Essence,
29 Jan. 2026
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The move comes after the Legislature’s Elon Musk-emulating DOGE committee looked into the commission.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The director’s boss also began copying Amber on emails requesting data.—
Chris Lipp,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Big data models learn by copying existing actions—how to fold clothes, write a dissertation, or create a video of a pig hoverboarding through space—by parsing previous examples and extrapolating similar behavior.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By mimicking these parameters, Zhu created an AI model, dubbed TongTong, which exists in a virtual city with her own drives, motivations, and limited autonomy.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
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So the team put it to the test, mimicking real-world treatment and wear and tear.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aping. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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