Alike | Definition, Meaning & Examples

Alike is an adjective meaning “similar” and an adverb meaning “in a similar way.” The meaning of the word can vary in degree depending on the context—from saying two things are exactly the same to saying that they merely have something in common.

Examples: “Alike” in a sentence
The two political opponents are actually alike in their views.

The twins seem to always dress alike.

The father and son are somewhat alike, but the father is more patient.

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“Look-alike”

Look-alike is a noun referring to a person or thing that looks like someone or something else. It can also be used as an adjective when it occurs before a noun. The plural noun is look-alikes. In UK English, it’s more commonly written without a hyphen: lookalike, lookalikes.

Note that only the noun is hyphenated or written as one word; the words should not be joined when using “look alike” as a verb: “They’re brothers, but they don’t look alike.”

Examples: “Look-alike” in a sentence
That painting is not the original; it is a look-alike.

The magician uses look-alikes in her tricks.

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“Great minds think alike”

Great minds think alike is a humorous expression used to acknowledge that two or more people share the same opinion or have reached the same conclusion at the same time. It’s typically used by one of the like-minded people to mean “we are very clever.”

Examples: “Great minds think alike” in a sentence
I heard that Sharon also signed up for the course; great minds think alike!

We often ask the same questions at the meetings. It goes to show that great minds think alike.

“Share and share alike”

Share and share alike is an idiom used to emphasize that each member of a group should receive an equal share of something. It’s often used in a legal context, such as in a will, to indicate that each individual should receive the same amount.

Examples: “Share and share alike” in a sentence
You can’t keep all the money, Peter; share and share alike.

Paula is a very fair person. Her philosophy is “share and share alike.”

Other interesting language articles

If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a synonym for “alike”?

There are numerous synonyms and near-synonyms for the two meanings of alike.

Similar (adjective) Similarly (adverb)
Identical Correspondingly
Indistinguishable Identically
Interchangeable Likewise
Matching The same
The same Uniformly
Undifferentiated
Uniform
How do I use “alike” in a sentence?

Alike can be used as an adjective meaning “similar” (e.g., “we’re alike in our beliefs”) and an adverb meaning “in a similar way” (e.g., “the brothers think alike”).

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Ryan, E. (2023, April 18). Alike | Definition, Meaning & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved January 8, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/definitions/alike/

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Eoghan Ryan

Eoghan has a lot of experience with theses and dissertations at bachelor's, MA, and PhD level. He has taught university English courses, helping students to improve their research and writing.