mock 1 of 3

verb

ˈmäk How to pronounce mock (audio)
Definition of mocknext
1
as in to parody
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of team members good-naturedly mocked the coach's familiar bellow

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2
as in to ridicule
to make (someone or something) the object of unkind laughter the fashion gurus loved to mock the famous couple for their unsophisticated clothes

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3
as in to disobey
to go against the commands, prohibitions, or rules of a person willing to mock the religious prohibition against working on the Sabbath

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mock

2 of 3

adjective

1
as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials mock turtle soup

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2
as in fake
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality since I had inadvertently learned what I was getting, I opened the present with mock surprise

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mock

3 of 3

noun

1
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of they made a mock of the new recruit in front of the whole unit

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2
as in copy
something that is made to look exactly like something else obviously, the "priceless" Grecian urn that is destroyed in the movie was a mock

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word mock distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of mock are ape, copy, imitate, and mimic. While all these words mean "to make something so that it resembles an existing thing," mock usually implies imitation with derision.

mocking a vain man's pompous manner

When is ape a more appropriate choice than mock?

The synonyms ape and mock are sometimes interchangeable, but ape may suggest presumptuous, slavish, or inept imitating of a superior original.

American fashion designers aped their European colleagues

When would copy be a good substitute for mock?

While the synonyms copy and mock are close in meaning, 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 mock?

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

imitate a poet's style

When is it sensible to use mimic instead of mock?

While in some cases nearly identical to mock, mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation.

pupils mimicking their teacher

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 mock
Verb
But other hashtags that focused more squarely on mocking the United States, or on touting China’s strengths, were allowed to trend — and in fact were explicitly initiated by state media. —Vivian Wang, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025 Four days ago, Tony Fabrizio, Trump's pollster, used the news that Axiom was laying off 10% of its workforce to mock Roe. —Alex Isenstadt, Axios, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
And with Walker being linked to the Panthers as much as any other prospect in first-round mock drafts, Morgan was asked about the Bulldogs defender’s fit within Ejiro Evero’s defense. —Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2025 Jeanty could be a top-10 pick, with the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6 being a popular landing spot in the mock drafts of various national experts. —Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
Another interesting part of this mock is the Cleveland Browns pull a similar move as the Giants and trade up for quarterback Jaxon Dart. —Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025 In The Athletic’s beat writer mock last week, the Rams indeed traded down in a deal with the Buffalo Bills that required just two picks from the Chiefs’ top AFC rival. —Nate Taylor, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mock
  1. parody
  2. ridicule
  3. disobey
  4. faux
  5. fake
  6. joke
  7. copy
  8. imitate
Verb
  • Silent comedies are often parodied as mere exercises in physical humor — and that element is certainly a part of their charm — but Chaplin’s work transcended pratfalls and knowing looks to the camera.
    — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Letterman, a true believer in Johnny Carson, didn’t really parody talk shows either.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of parody
Verb
  • Presumably, Justine is not thrilled by Elon’s treatment of Vivian Jenna Wilson, one of the twins, who is now a transgender woman, and whom Elon has publicly ridiculed along with the trans community as a whole.
    — Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The president has ridiculed each of the major broadcast networks, which are regulated by Carr’s FCC, and suggested CBS, ABC and NBC could see their broadcast licenses pulled or at least face more scrutiny from the federal government over coverage of him.
    — Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of ridicule
Verb
  • Boasberg earlier this week found probable cause that the Trump administration committed criminal contempt by disobeying his ruling, only to see the Supreme Court rule that only judges where migrants are being held have jurisdiction to halt their removal.
    — Jasmine Garsd, NPR, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The timing of Lopez Gomez’s arrest, first reported by the Florida Phoenix, raises questions about whether the court order was disobeyed.
    — Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of disobey
Adjective
  • Leather or faux leather are both common suspects for luxury crossbody phone bags, but there are also alternatives made with recycled, easy-to-clean nylon, suede, canvas, and beyond.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Both the Oppo Find X6 Ultra and Find X7 Ultra had a dual-tone finish where half the phone featured a faux leather back.
    — Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of faux
Adjective
  • Fooling the government about your fake relationship is one thing, but fooling your family is a whole other challenge of its own.
    — Toubee Yang, Them., 18 Apr. 2025
  • This dog sofa features furniture-quality construction, with fake leather upholstery, memory foam internal padding and legs to hold it off the floor.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of fake
Noun
  • Trump sued Maher in 2013 for $5 million after the comedian made a crass joke about his mother and an orangutan.
    — Steff Danielle Thomas, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Andrews adds musical interludes, which don’t always work, and brutal jokes, which do.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of joke
Noun
  • There was a grocery list, spice cans, copies of L.A. newspapers.
    — Carolyn Kellogg, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The museum has housed another copy of this book since the 1930s.
    — Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025
Definition of copy
Verb
  • The Cubs beat the Dodgers 16-0 on Saturday, featuring an entertaining moment in which position-player-pitching Miguel Rojas imitated the deliveries of a few Dodgers pitchers.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Moreover, these models can imitate individuals' or industries' writing styles and wording.
    — Kevin Korte, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of imitate

Browse Nearby Words

moccasins
mock
mocked
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Cite this Entry

“Mock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mock. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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