Definition of impersonatenext
1
as in to imitate
to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior a school intruder was caught trying to impersonate a teacher

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to portray
to present a portrayal or performance of interpreters at the living history museum impersonate figures who are known to have actually lived in the colonial town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impersonate From the start of 2021 through the election in fall of 2024, the FTC — the nation’s top consumer protection agency — fielded about 960 immigration complaints per year, such as reports of fake attorneys offering services or people impersonating federal officers. Naisha Roy, ProPublica, 29 Apr. 2026 Investigators believe someone used Hou’s cellphone to impersonate him for more than a month, having texted his wife not to return to their home of about 20 years, the LA Times reported. Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026 Prosecutors say Davis wore disguises on multiple video calls with investors in 2024 to impersonate three different NFL players. ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026 Christopher Aaron Murray faces a series of charges, including impersonating law enforcement, state officials said. Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for impersonate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonate
Verb
  • Streep imitated how Hawn, 80, would arrive on set, always apologetic.
    Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
  • Speaking in Ormond Beach, DeSantis took aim at Jeffries’ recent warnings to Florida Republicans over redistricting, appearing to use African-American vernacular to imitate the Brooklyn lawmaker, who in 2023 became the first Black politician to lead a major party in Congress.
    Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The film stars renegade country singer Elizabeth Cook as a fictionalized version of herself, portraying an artist navigating midlife while contending with an industry that has never fully embraced her.
    Kennedy French, Variety, 28 Apr. 2026
  • However, director Antoine Fuqua made the conscious decision to use CGI to portray the chimpanzee.
    Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Newspaper owners mocked the idea.
    Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
  • Then again, the anti-Reese sentiment was equally as strong; a separate post that mocked her shooting stats from that April 29 exhibition game generated just as much engagement.
    Candace Buckner, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Verb
  • That was the game Towns played.
    C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Mia Arguelles, who typically plays midfielder, filled in at goalkeeper due to injuries and made two saves for Andrew (7-6-1, 3-2).
    Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Till’s motifs swept though the ensemble, as horns, clarinets, bassoons, violin all had a chance to personate the character.
    BY LIBBY HANSSEN, kansascity.com, 3 June 2017
Verb
  • My plan was all an act, or more, an enactment of an act that would never be performed.
    Chang-rae Lee, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
  • After every race, his team analyzes a litany of granular data points, including which skis performed best on what kind of snow and which garments correlated with faster results.
    Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • The 56-year-old former TV personality denied that, telling Vogue the mermaid-like sculpture is meant to depict Freyja, the Norse goddess of love, fertility, war and gold.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
  • Junkanoo revelry is dedicated to the dead, and here Munroe commemorates Beadle through a series of paintings depicting a memorial procession based on photographs by the Bahamian photographer Jackson Petit, as well as through Beadle’s material legacy.
    Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • That said, take a broad look at your savings account options now and don't dismiss the benefits banks with local branches can still offer, as not all institutions will interpret today's interest rate climate in the same way.
    Matt Richardson, CBS News, 4 May 2026
  • Put simply, guests are expected to interpret the evening's theme through their attire.
    Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonate. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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