impersonate

verb

im-ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt How to pronounce impersonate (audio)
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 The Idaho Attorney General’s Office is warning that scammers are impersonating city planning officials in Boise, Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell, using public permit information to create realistic fake invoices. — Chadd Cripe. Produced With Ai Assistance, Idaho Statesman, 2 July 2026 This allows criminals to impersonate carriers, intercept deliveries, and disable GPS tracking. — Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Online, Safeer Mohammed Koorimannil, who was trafficked to a scam center in Myanmar, impersonated a 28-year-old Singaporean woman named Ella. — ABC News, 30 June 2026 So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for impersonate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonate
  1. imitate
  2. portray
  3. mock
  4. play
  5. personate
  6. perform
  7. depict
  8. interpret
Verb
  • Creator culture can imitate the feeling of belonging without creating the lasting structure of belonging.
    — Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Technology that augments humans spreads prosperity, but technology built to imitate and substitute for them concentrates it.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of imitate
Verb
  • For the cover of the July 27, 2026, issue, the artist Marcellus Hall portrayed the effect that global warming has on subway riders.
    — Françoise Mouly, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • The Modi government has portrayed the demonstrators as villains.
    — Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 July 2026
Definition of portray
Verb
  • Fans rightfully mocked the dancing cars mounted on robot arms that played during an inexplicable diversion on Universal Studios Hollywood’s Studio Tour.
    — Robert Niles, Oc Register, 21 July 2026
  • By and large, the General Assembly mocks his policy proposals and ignores his leadership.
    — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026
Definition of mock
Verb
  • The bridge — which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario — was named after legendary Canadian hockey player Gordie Howe who played for the Detroit Red Wings, symbolizing the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
  • Starling Marte moved over to right field and Isaac Collins came in to play left field.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026
Definition of play
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
Definition of personate
Verb
  • The actors also showcased their talent by performing scenes from the show, in tandem with clips projected onto the big panel screens for audiences.
    — Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 24 July 2026
  • After performing very well in 2020-21, Leeds’ first season back in the Premier League after an absence of 16 years, Illan Meslier’s signature on a five-year contract was viewed as a long-term solution.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of perform
Verb
  • Content created with generative AI, or gen AI, tools can include fake nude images and videos; deepfakes; and content from nudification tools and apps, which allow a user to generate a fake image that depicts people as undressed.
    — Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • The image depicts a fairly slender-looking screen-free wearable, but one that looks distinctly wider than the Fitbit Air.
    — Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of depict
Verb
  • Genealogy author Ron Chan will show participants how to access and interpret these records and create a memorial page.
    — Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 19 July 2026
  • Despite advances in artificial intelligence, robots still struggle to interpret human thoughts and translate them into reliable actions.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 19 July 2026
Definition of interpret

Browse Nearby Words

impersonal
impersonate
impersonated
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Cite this Entry

“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonate. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of impersonate for Spanish Speakers

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