impersonate
verb
im·per·son·ate
im-ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt 
impersonated; impersonating
: to assume or act the character of : personate
Examples of impersonate in a Sentence
He was arrested for impersonating a police officer.
a comedian with a talent for impersonating famous politicians and actors
Recent Examples on the Web
Scammers impersonating Social Security rank No. 2 on the list; scammers impersonating the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as Medicare, rank No. 3.
—
Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 24 July 2025
Use identity theft protection to guard against online scams
Once your personal data is compromised, scammers can open accounts, reroute your mail or impersonate you online.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2025
Marshal Goodnight faces charges including impersonating a peace officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of a stun gun, possessing a baton and possessing a tear gas weapon, police said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2025
The targets of such scams tend to be people over the age of 60, with Keegan also reporting on the case of a 73-year-old woman who lost some $100,000 to someone online impersonating Kevin Costner.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
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Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 24 July 2025
Use identity theft protection to guard against online scams
Once your personal data is compromised, scammers can open accounts, reroute your mail or impersonate you online.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2025
Marshal Goodnight faces charges including impersonating a peace officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of a stun gun, possessing a baton and possessing a tear gas weapon, police said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2025
The targets of such scams tend to be people over the age of 60, with Keegan also reporting on the case of a 73-year-old woman who lost some $100,000 to someone online impersonating Kevin Costner.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
Cite this Entry
“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impersonate. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impersonate
verb
im·per·son·ate
im-ˈpərs-ᵊn-ˌāt
impersonated; impersonating
: to pretend to be some other person
impersonate a police officer
impersonation
noun
-ˌpərs-ᵊn-ˈā-shən
impersonator
noun
-ˈpərs-ᵊn-ˌāt-ər
Legal Definition
impersonate
transitive verb
im·per·son·ate
im-ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt
impersonated; impersonating
: to assume (another's or a fictitious identity) without authority and with fraudulent intent
impersonate a police officer
impersonated a public servant by saying he was from the water department
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