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.

“Ducklings will imprint on anything that moves that’s bigger than a matchbox,” says Antone Martinho-Truswell, who co-founded the Duckling Laboratory at the University of Oxford while getting his doctorate in zoology.

From New York Times • Jun. 22, 2022

However, if newborn ducks see a human before they see their mother, they will imprint on the human and follow it in just the same manner as they would follow their real mother.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

If your shoes do end up stained, Andrade says it’s important to remove the stain instead of simply polishing the shoe, which will imprint it further.

From Slate • Sep. 19, 2018

We will imprint into this our own style and we hope people will love it.

From The Guardian • May 8, 2013

Since they instinctively follow a dominant leader and will imprint on humans as that leader, they can readily be driven by a shepherd or sheepdog.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond