みたいに・みたいな

みたいに is used to describe the manner or degree of an action or state by comparing it to something else, often translating to 'like ~' or 'as if ~'. It emphasizes similarity in how something is done or how something is, rather than stating a hard fact. みたいな is used before a noun to say that the noun is similar to something else, i.e., 'like a ~' or 'such as a ~'. Tone ranges from casual to neutral, depending on context.