quack like a duck

verb

To appear to be exactly what one is.

“If it quacks like a duck, it's a duck.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbquack like a duck (third-person singular simple present quacks like a duck, present participle quacking like a duck, simple past and past participle quacked like a duck)

present singular third person quacks like a duck · participle present quacking like a duck · participle past quacked like a duck · past quacked like a duck

  1. simileTo appear to be exactly what one is.

    If it quacks like a duck, it's a duck.

    1 more example

    If you quack like a duck, then you must be a duck. If you are functioning like a local body, then you must be one.

    2000 February 1, “From the Electoral College”, in Agapé, volume 2, number 4, page 2
Cite this entry
APA

quack like a duck. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quack%20like%20a%20duck

MLA

“quack like a duck.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quack%20like%20a%20duck. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quack like a duck,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quack%20like%20a%20duck.

Source: quack like a duck on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.