English speakers sometimes talk about what someone said or thought like this:

He was like, "Hold on, wait for me!"

I was like, "Oh no! What am I going to do?"

I saw it on her face – she was like "Yo, leave me out of this!"

When people use "___ was like ___" to report what someone said, they don't always quote the exact words that the person said. This phrase makes it seem like you're reporting the general idea of what someone said rather than their exact words.

Whether you're reporting someone's thoughts or their actual words is sometimes clear but sometime unclear.

Use "___ was like ___" in casual speech. When you're speaking formally or writing, use "___ said ___" or "___ thought ___".