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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imitate
As part of the research, a group of dogs were first trained to imitate human actions on command.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
Vinicius Jr usually imitates Mbappe’s celebration when the Frenchman scores and this gesture was another sign that the dressing room’s health is intact.
—Mario Cortegana, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Baked into the movie’s very fabric are questions of belonging — of cultural origin — which Talwar investigates with his digital camera, imitating the nostalgic authenticity of 16mm celluloid in the process.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
There are a few ways to imitate the look and feel of a cozy sunroom, even if your home doesn’t have a space that fits the typical definition.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitate
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
Vinicius Jr usually imitates Mbappe’s celebration when the Frenchman scores and this gesture was another sign that the dressing room’s health is intact.
—Mario Cortegana, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Baked into the movie’s very fabric are questions of belonging — of cultural origin — which Talwar investigates with his digital camera, imitating the nostalgic authenticity of 16mm celluloid in the process.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
There are a few ways to imitate the look and feel of a cozy sunroom, even if your home doesn’t have a space that fits the typical definition.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitate
Verb
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Sequences like the ambulance chase recall the heyday of Jerry Bruckheimer and Joel Silver movies, which Berk and Olsen tried to emulate while putting their own spin on the genre via the film’s unconventional protagonist.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
13 Mar. 2025
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But if Barnes’s collection is a model to emulate, the saga of his organization is a lesson in founder’s-syndrome perils.—
Susan Tallman,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The show parodies the life of Jeanie Buss, president of the Los Angeles Lakers.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
4 Mar. 2025
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The gum-chewing character with a thick mustache was recently parodied in a Super Bowl ad with Matthew McConaughey.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
14 Mar. 2025
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No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher, Cake Eater will be released Dec. 30 and is available now for preorder, wherever books are sold.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Not to be redistributed, copied, or modified in any way.—
Ashley Belanger,
Ars Technica,
20 Mar. 2025
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Ultimately, this trickles down to the rest of the business community as tech startups and other entrepreneurs watch, copy and develop cheaper and more efficient systems to market.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Musk has mocked Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, repeatedly since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022.—
Lily Hay Newman,
WIRED,
11 Mar. 2025
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The Vice President’s face has been subject to mock meme edits for several months, as political commentators used editing tools to exaggerate his features and create child-like caricatures.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Knicks wanted to replicate the success Minnesota’s league-best defense found pairing Towns with a true defensive anchor in Rudy Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2025
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This is the allure of an uncomplicated love, a dynamic that artificial companions seem poised to replicate.—
Silvia Park,
TIME,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Among the innovations was Modern Meadow, a U.S.-based company founded in 2011 in Nutley, N.J., that has developed a material combining a soy protein structure and a nylon matrix to mimic closely the natural properties of collagen found in leather.—
Cristina Manfredi,
WWD,
11 Mar. 2025
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In trials, pills that mimic the genetic variation that helps Amish live longer has done the same thing for mice.—
Charlie De Mar,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Then Sterling did some less effective things and got suspended anyway, so that mad idea was, at least, parked for the time being.—
Amy Lawrence,
The Athletic,
13 Mar. 2025
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However, once the exchange went viral, his bosses urged him to do so on ESPN First Take, which Smith lead as talent and executive producer.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitate. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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