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
So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
Scammers who are impersonating Amazon also often claim that there are issues with an order or other problems, too.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 31 Mar. 2026
The Federal Bureau of Investigation says criminals are impersonating city and county planning officials in a phishing campaign designed to trick victims into paying fake permit fees.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Scammers may also impersonate tax software companies or financial institutions to make the message seem credible.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
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Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
Scammers who are impersonating Amazon also often claim that there are issues with an order or other problems, too.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 31 Mar. 2026
The Federal Bureau of Investigation says criminals are impersonating city and county planning officials in a phishing campaign designed to trick victims into paying fake permit fees.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Scammers may also impersonate tax software companies or financial institutions to make the message seem credible.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 28 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 3 Apr. 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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