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
Duarte’s lucky he wasn’t charged with impersonating a Massachusetts state rep.
—
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Authorities allege the group targeted elderly homeowners between 2021 and 2023, stealing personal information and using it to create fake IDs and email accounts to impersonate victims.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
No outside agencies or businesses will be able to directly hire off-duty police officers through the scheduling platform RollKall after police say a man impersonating law enforcement and killed by SWAT officers earlier this month slipped through the cracks.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
The scammers often impersonate the toll service in the recipient’s state.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
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Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Authorities allege the group targeted elderly homeowners between 2021 and 2023, stealing personal information and using it to create fake IDs and email accounts to impersonate victims.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
No outside agencies or businesses will be able to directly hire off-duty police officers through the scheduling platform RollKall after police say a man impersonating law enforcement and killed by SWAT officers earlier this month slipped through the cracks.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
The scammers often impersonate the toll service in the recipient’s state.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
Cite this Entry
“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impersonate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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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