aped

verb

past tense of ape
as in imitated
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior was caught aping the substitute teacher's thick accent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 aped Nicholson's fireworks would be subsequently aped, and amped up to over-the-top proportions, by other actors and by the future Batman villain himself. — Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026 But none aped the style of an actual Super Bowl ad more cleverly than this one, clearly modeled after Budweiser’s ads that tend to feature horses and inspirational voiceovers. — Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026 American elites aped European fashions, art, and manners, and Europeans admired American energy and efficiency. — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aped
  1. imitated
  2. copied
  3. emulated
  4. mimicked
Verb
  • They were both reviled and imitated, but always watched as a pop cultural spectacle.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 26 June 2026
  • That never aired because it was deemed too easily imitated.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026
Definition of imitated
Verb
  • Monks and nuns copied texts to produce Bibles and prayer books for worship, but also because writing was seen as a spiritual exercise.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • Her own granddaughter's baptism dress included embroideries copied from that dress.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026
Definition of copied
Verb
  • Mark Ford Rosemary Tonks emulated French Symbolist poets before converting to Christianity and renouncing all her own works.
    — The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
  • Byrd quips, adding that the next generation has emulated her work.
    — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of emulated
Verb
  • In a similar move, razor brand Gillette’s cover for its logo on the stadium in Massachusetts mimicked shaving cream foam to make light of the situation.
    — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 26 June 2026
  • The shiny black color mimicked the liquid texture of her Vuitton outfit and matched the edgy, even gothy vibe of her web earrings and ring.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 23 June 2026
Definition of mimicked

Browse Nearby Words

ape
aped
aper
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aped. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on aped

Nglish: Translation of aped for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All