1
as in to emulate
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior
teenage musicians who imitate whichever rock stars are hot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to parody
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of
imitating someone's stutter and laughing at them is a cruel thing to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to reproduce
to make an exact likeness of
a second-rate artist who was notorious for imitating the works of other painters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imitate
Further, the actress, known for her work across TV and film, discusses how art has imitated life and why The Pitt reminds her of The Great British Bake-Off.
—
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
His YouTube page, once an online venue for his songs, was more recently dedicated to paranoid rants about his family members, some centering on his relationship with his grandfather, and others where Valdez displayed bizarre behavior like imitating Nazi soldiers.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
In a culture that prizes doing above all else, Koch says, humans are easy to imitate.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
One of them was imitating his voice.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for imitate
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
His YouTube page, once an online venue for his songs, was more recently dedicated to paranoid rants about his family members, some centering on his relationship with his grandfather, and others where Valdez displayed bizarre behavior like imitating Nazi soldiers.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
In a culture that prizes doing above all else, Koch says, humans are easy to imitate.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
One of them was imitating his voice.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for imitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitate
Verb
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At least for now, Bath’s example illustrates the possibilities in terms of both promise and avenues for development—by emulating nature (selecting hardy strains of Bacillus) and pharmaceutical engineering (capsule technology), civil engineers are rethinking concrete from the inside out.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
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California is often a political staging ground for progressive initiatives on issues such as environmental safeguards, worker rights and protections for minorities that are then emulated by other Democratic states and used by Republicans to attack Democrats in swing areas.—
Joseph Ax,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Over time, Norris also became a web phenomenon, the subject of memes and jokes that parodied his image of invincibility.—
Valentina Colosimo,
Vanity Fair,
20 Mar. 2026
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And of course Burrs, whom Donica plays with titanic, Sweeney-esque feeling and force of baritone, is all the more self-hating and compromised, having made a career parodying himself.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
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Engineers are using their knowledge of fluid mechanics and materials science to reproduce the unique environment of the womb.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On a party count, that is 4-3 for the Dems and the one-for-you, one-for-me bipartisan staffing copies the Board of Elections.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Every time the virus copies itself inside a cell, its genetic material mutates.—
Kyle B. Enfield,
The Conversation,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In vivid, dramatic language more befitting of a pulp novel accompanied by fanciful illustrations, the story said that reports of monsters first started surfacing in Canada, only to be met with mocking dismissal in Chicago.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
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This festival featured carnivals that included music, costumes, and mocking church rituals.—
Paula Soria,
AZCentral.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Soon, the astronauts of Artemis 2 will try to replicate it during their own flight around the moon.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
5 Apr. 2026
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Patience is the hardest part of this model to replicate.—
Stuart N. Brotman,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Martha Stewart, who introduced her followers to the tradition in 2005, resurrected the dessert a few days ago on Instagram with a photo of a cake expertly decorated with chocolate curls mimicking a lamb’s wooly coat.—
Lisa Gutierrez
April 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 Apr. 2026
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The proposal would need to be approved by Israel’s political leadership, which has already indicated a preference for carrying out widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure to establish a buffer zone, mimicking similar actions in Gaza.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The fact that the President is now signalling a messy retreat has nothing to do with insufficient lethality and everything to do with politics—in particular, the alarm in the global oil markets and the American public’s widespread opposition to the war.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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If a friend volunteers input, accept their assistance with gratitude rather than doing everything alone for the best results.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitate. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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