mimes 1 of 2

plural of mime
1
as in performers
an actor in a story performed silently and entirely by body movements that annoying mime on the sidewalk is pretending to be in an invisible box again

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2
as in gestures
a movement of the body or limbs that expresses or emphasizes an idea or feeling the speech-impaired patient had to convey his wishes with mime or scribbled notes

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mimes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of mime
as in imitates
to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior as a joke, Eric knelt by the dinner table and began miming a dog begging for food

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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 mimes
Noun
The idea is that as an operator mimes picking up a pile of rocks, the arm would generate a force in response, as if the operator could feel the heaviness of the rocks, confirming that the excavator is indeed picking them up. — New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2026 In bodycam footage released by police from the early hours of March 19, 2025, Natland emerges topless from his room and mimes a shooting gesture at a firearms officer before being slammed against a wall. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 29 July 2026 Demoustier holds her nose and mimes gagging. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 13 May 2026 In person, the audience sips cocktails and witnesses top-notch side acts that cleanse the palate between improv blocks, with a mix of nationally touring stand-up, mimes, musicians and more. — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026 Rae’s setup was meticulous, maximalist, and totally unified—the boa made of hundred-dollar bills, the backup dancers who looked vaguely like mimes, the scaffolding that suggested Moulin Rouge! — Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026 From ringmasters and lions to clowns and mimes, everyone went all out with their party attire. — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026 Expertise in using one’s body (think dancers or mimes). — Big Think, 6 Apr. 2026 Instead, someone hands me a wooden pole with a piece of foam taped around one end and mimes poking the machine in its chest. — James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mimes
Noun
  • Alaska, Hawaiian are consistent performers The AQR also singled out Alaska Airlines as the steadiest performer in the industry.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • We had been told not to point, lest our gestures attract a sniper’s bullets.
    — Nicolas Niarchos, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The gestures of moving, being, and breathing coalesced for Kristin as this poem, which emerged from the state of presence that is meditation-in-action.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 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
  • Talkative characters like the froggish Mallow and even Bowser himself are motor-mouthed and sarcastic, nigglingly mocking Mario for his inability to speak in anything other than nods and pantomimes.
    — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Disney then filmed Kerry's movements, reactions, and pantomimes, complete with props but without any dialogue to work with, over the course of nine months.
    — Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Nov. 2025
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
  • His high-fashion clowns, bears and other quirks always deliver.
    — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The gasoline shortage has become such a feature of daily life that even clowns at Moscow’s circus have cracked jokes about it.
    — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 4 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
  • Like a medieval castle, where lords slept, blacksmiths pounded, soldiers trained, mummers mummed, and farmers sold their produce, the 21st century armory will be a mixed-use project in the truest sense.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mimes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mimes. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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