apes 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of ape
as in copies
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

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apes

2 of 2

noun

plural of ape

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 apes
Verb
The track apes the softly anthemic approach of U2, Coldplay, and the National—until all of that elegant uplift topples like an overly ambitious wedding cake. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026 But if getting Andy back in the Runway fold feels a lot like getting her into it in the first film, that feeling will only persist, as the sequel apes the original feature nearly beat for beat, with some small swaps here and there. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026 More importantly, this origin story of a movie and a movement apes the joie de moviemaking and the jazzy looseness of the original to an absolutely amazing degree, replicating an off-the-cuff feeling that’s more than a second-hand buzz. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025 There are high columns crawling with ivy, nearly 12 acres of rolling lawns, teensy windows with teensy shutters, and a diminutive pool house that apes a fairy-tale cottage. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apes
Verb
  • Someone else copies them for free and undercuts their pricing before the training run has even paid back.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • So some large companies essentially hire Anta to make their shoes, designed and developed in their own countries, in order to save some money, and Anta then copies their designs, manufacturing tolerances, and processes.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Rather than using background actors, the film features real Puerto Rican residents, including a local activist and singer.
    — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Buckley’s co-star, Lyndsy Fonseca, and producer Andrew Gernhard also noted that the crew takes care of the actors.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • These brutes commonly exceed 50 pounds.
    — Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
  • In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-​skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-​skinned developing world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Constantin Brâncuși’s marble-and-limestone sculpture L’oiseau (1923/1947), for example, commands the space, while Wolfgang Tillmans’s 2022 photograph tree filling window imitates an open window in a closed space.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Over the weekend, movie-theater chain AMC Entertainment accused Robinhood of creating an unauthorized market that imitates trading in AMC shares through its overseas platform without the company’s approval.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Get paid, hang out like the rest of these posers.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
  • Costumed reporters and awkward celebrity posers.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Rival fans were quick to jump all over this fact, given that both the Panthers and the Tkachuk brothers were seen as polarizing villains throughout the NHL.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • There are no villains or scary scenes in this gentle story about a young witch finding her way in the world.
    — Anna Earl, Parents, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Nvidia, which surrendered $589 billion in a day to DeepSeek's legend, is the company DeepSeek now depends on and emulates.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Oscar emulates him with another round of Volcano Mode a minute later.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Upstairs, impressionists, writers, socialites, and painters who moved in Proust’s orbit, from Sarah Bernhardt to Emile Zola and Claude Monet, lent their names to a room or suite.
    — Lindsey Tramuta, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Apes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apes. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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