impersonate
verb
im·per·son·ate
im-ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt 
impersonated; impersonating
: to assume or act the character of : personate
impersonating a police officer
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
In 1993, Chris Farley impersonated Reiner in a cold open alongside Phil Hartman’s President Bill Clinton.
—
Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Dec. 2025
This refers to malicious actors impersonating a legitimate software package or extension to trick an unwitting coder—or now, an AI—into downloading a malicious one instead, usually by slightly tweaking the name and legitimizing it with fake reviews.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2025
In November, Johnny Cash's estate sued Coca-Cola under the ELVIS Act for hiring a tribute act to impersonate the country singer for an advertisement.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
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Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Dec. 2025
This refers to malicious actors impersonating a legitimate software package or extension to trick an unwitting coder—or now, an AI—into downloading a malicious one instead, usually by slightly tweaking the name and legitimizing it with fake reviews.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2025
In November, Johnny Cash's estate sued Coca-Cola under the ELVIS Act for hiring a tribute act to impersonate the country singer for an advertisement.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Dec. 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 23 Dec. 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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