1
as in mocked
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 played
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
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Recent Examples of impersonated
The borough president at first alleged the agents impersonated NYPD officers, but later said that claim was not confirmed.
—
Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
Other counterprotesters mockingly impersonated billionaires by donning crowns or top hats.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
That was clear 22 years ago when, at a postgame party celebrating the Pats’ AFC Championship Game victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Vrabel saw that Belichick had called me, seized my phone, impersonated my voice and asked a highly technical question about his alignment on a specific play.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Brands impersonated in new attacks.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
User @briadeshaun took a more relatable route and impersonated an out-of-shape owl, worn out from flying and repeatedly panting to catch its breath.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
In that case, attackers impersonated legitimate apps and walked users through terminal commands that installed the same AMOS infostealer.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Jan. 2026
In 1993, Chris Farley impersonated Reiner in a cold open alongside Phil Hartman’s President Bill Clinton.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Dec. 2025
The show’s cast members also impersonated Bob Dylan, Kate Bush, Yoko Ono, Björk, and Geese frontman Cameron Winter.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 21 Dec. 2025
Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
Other counterprotesters mockingly impersonated billionaires by donning crowns or top hats.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
That was clear 22 years ago when, at a postgame party celebrating the Pats’ AFC Championship Game victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Vrabel saw that Belichick had called me, seized my phone, impersonated my voice and asked a highly technical question about his alignment on a specific play.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Brands impersonated in new attacks.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
User @briadeshaun took a more relatable route and impersonated an out-of-shape owl, worn out from flying and repeatedly panting to catch its breath.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
In that case, attackers impersonated legitimate apps and walked users through terminal commands that installed the same AMOS infostealer.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Jan. 2026
In 1993, Chris Farley impersonated Reiner in a cold open alongside Phil Hartman’s President Bill Clinton.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Dec. 2025
The show’s cast members also impersonated Bob Dylan, Kate Bush, Yoko Ono, Björk, and Geese frontman Cameron Winter.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 21 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonated
Verb
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Prosecutors mocked Vargas’s account of the stabbing.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
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The infielder was mocked on social media after a head-scratching baserunning blunder against his former team, the Miami Marlins, in August.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Biel, who played so well in 2025 Charlotte FC brought him back on permanent transfer in 2026, received a pass from Ashley Westwood on a set play and fired a shot into the back of the net.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Mar. 2026
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The two teams played their Class 6A Division ll girls state championship basketball game at the Alamodome in San Antonio on March 7, 2026.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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It was endlessly parodied and imitated.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
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That’s a rhythm of Barron’s that many a playwright has imitated.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Miller said that the site is inspected once a month, and that Oncor has performed an environmental assessment on the site concluding that there are no hazards associated with it.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
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Shavers also performed like a heavyweight boxer, delivering the basketball equivalent of an uppercut with a 27-footer from the right wing after Hyde Park pulled within 10 with six minutes left.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Robin Hood was portrayed as a fox, Little John was depicted as a bear, Friar Tuck as a badger, Prince John as a lion, the sheriff of Nottingham as a wolf and Maid Marian as a vixen.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
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Radcliffe played the titular wizard Harry Potter in the beloved franchise, while Felton portrayed Potter's nemesis Draco Malfoy.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the speed and the solidarity with which states came forward suggest the states don’t feel like the DOJ acted competently.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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The company acted with urgency to expand beyond beer into the fast-growing categories of non-alcoholic beer and ready-to-drink choices.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The three San Diego County bases are aware of the Inspector General’s report, and each separately told the Union-Tribune that their canine care is far better than depicted in the report.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
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Robin Hood was portrayed as a fox, Little John was depicted as a bear, Friar Tuck as a badger, Prince John as a lion, the sheriff of Nottingham as a wolf and Maid Marian as a vixen.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That year, Waldo created the Asian and Asian American Classical Caucus, which promotes the study of how Asian and Asian American cultures have interpreted antiquity.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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While Anthropic has characterized the inquiry as routine, the Pentagon and Palantir interpreted it as a potential threat to their access.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impersonated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonated. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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