emulate
verb (used with object)
to try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass.
was emulating
-
past progressiveof emulate.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In his studied inscrutability Warsh was emulating his role model and the man who came to personify what it means to be a central banker.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
“My parents created a Mexican market on wheels, so I was emulating that practice,” the artist said.
From New York Times ● Feb. 13, 2023
“When she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, she was emulating her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, who had also celebrated” the 60-year milestone, he added.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 20, 2022
In cultivating Hilhaven, Ratner was emulating Evans, the former Paramount executive, who had transformed his own Beverly Hills mansion, Woodland, into a party pad.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2017
In most respects they behaved entirely alike, and the one point of difference was that the descendant of Augustus was emulating zither-players, whereas the freedman of Claudius was emulating Caesars.
From Dio's Rome, Volume 5, Books 61-76 (A.D. 54-211) An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek During The Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English Form By Herbert Baldwin Foster by Herbert Baldwin Foster
