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
Some of the most notable moments show Atlas imitating human emotional reactions.
—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
24 June 2026
But much in the way that younger people will look to imitate their sporting heroes — sticking out their tongue while driving to the basket like Michael Jordan, standing over free-kicks like Ronaldo — a number of modern tennis players have added ‘vamos’ to their reserve.
—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
There is a growing belief that Jordanian stories do not need to imitate anyone else in order to find audiences.
—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
19 June 2026
The undulating roofline imitates the Allegheny Mountains, and 38 steel columns create a canopy reminiscent of the region's forests, Prix Versailles says.
—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for imitate
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
24 June 2026
But much in the way that younger people will look to imitate their sporting heroes — sticking out their tongue while driving to the basket like Michael Jordan, standing over free-kicks like Ronaldo — a number of modern tennis players have added ‘vamos’ to their reserve.
—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
There is a growing belief that Jordanian stories do not need to imitate anyone else in order to find audiences.
—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
19 June 2026
The undulating roofline imitates the Allegheny Mountains, and 38 steel columns create a canopy reminiscent of the region's forests, Prix Versailles says.
—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for imitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitate
Verb
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After the season ended, Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka cited Mitchell’s progression between the guard’s first and second years as a model for player development the Lakers wanted to emulate.
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After the United States was founded in 1776, leaders like Thomas Jefferson chose to emulate classical architecture when building its Washington, DC, capital as a nod to the democratic ideals of the Greek and Roman empires.
Verb
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The song was featured on the album Album 1700 and parodied the style of famous acts of the time, including The Beatles and The Mamas & The Papas.
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As Buffy Gilmore, Shannon Elizabeth parodied the girl-next-door archetype, eventually proving to be not so innocent behind the scenes.
Verb
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Unlike conventional gaming headsets that primarily separate audio into left and right channels, Spherephones reproduces sound from above, below, behind, and in front of the user.
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As for one of the franchise's other biggest mysteries — how the characters reproduce — Coffin has a simple answer.
Verb
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The system for copying parts of the genome into RNA for protein production comes from a virus called T7.
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Her own granddaughter's baptism dress included embroideries copied from that dress.
Verb
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In the weeks leading up to the June 26 release of the film, men mocked 26-year-old Alcock’s appearance across social media.
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Each sketch was packed with mocking details, such as long red ties, Big Macs and lots and lots of gold, to drive home her point.
Verb
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Yet many could still replicate portions of its economic evolution by broadening participation, encouraging private enterprise, welcoming additional foreign investors, and leveraging competition among outside powers to secure more favorable outcomes.
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After some more tweaking and optimizing, the cell started growing and replicating its DNA.
Verb
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That skill mimics mortality, Lee said, with the Chinese firm calling it another step toward fully autonomous machines capable of working 24/7.
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Such a beautiful sculpture, mimicking the swirls found in nature (the cosmos, shells, Fibonacci-following topiary) felt a far cry from the swirl of emotions prompted by my favorite TV shows.
Verb
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The divergence is over whether the worker shortage is improving slowly or still getting worse, and what the Supreme Court should do about it.
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The band is forced into doing take after take in his quest to fully convey his own emotions.
Cite this Entry
“Imitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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