Alike | Meaning, Definition & Examples
Alike is both an adverb and an adjective that means “in a similar way.” The degree of similarity expressed by alike varies with context, from almost identical to a general resemblance.
My father and I sound very alike on the phone, and people have difficulty knowing which one of us it is.
Lab-grown diamonds and the real thing are so alike that for most people it’s not worth paying extra for the real ones.
“Look-alike”
A look-alike is someone or something that resembles something or someone else. It is a noun when used in these contexts, but it can also be an adjective if it is placed before a noun as a modifier. The plural is look-alikes. In British English, it is more common to find it written without the hyphen (e.g., lookalike and lookalikes).
When used as a verb, then you don’t use a hyphen and the words are kept separate (e.g., “They were painted by the same artist, but definitely do not look alike”).
Many dictators have used look-alikes to protect themselves from assassination attempts.
Great minds think alike
Great minds think alike is a tongue-in-cheek way of acknowledging that you share the same opinion with someone. It is an idiom and is a lighthearted way of recognizing that you and someone else have reached the same conclusion and that you both must be clever.
My dad’s response to the statement “great minds think alike” was always a gruff “and fools never differ!”
Share and share alike
Share and share alike is an idiomatic phrase that recommends that something should be equally shared amongst a group of people. It is sometimes used in legal contexts as an instruction in a will to make sure that all the beneficiaries receive the same amount.
It was a very welcoming house, with a share and share alike philosophy.
Frequently asked questions about alike
- How do I use alike in a sentence?
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You can use alike in a sentence as an adjective (e.g., “the twins aren’t identical, but they are very alike”) or as an adverb (e.g. “the two sisters walked, talked, and even laughed alike”).
As an adjective, alike means “similar,” and as an adverb it means “in a similar way.”
QuillBot’s rewording tool can help you to expand your writing in new ways.
- What is a synonym for alike?
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Alike can be used as an adjective and an adverb. There are several synonyms and near-synonyms, including:
Similar (adjective) Similarly (adverb) The same Identically Identical The same Uniform Likewise Indistinguishable Correspondingly Interchangeable Uniformly Undifferentiated Matching Try QuillBot’s rephraser to find new ways of expressing your meaning.
