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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impersonated
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
In some cases, those people impersonated a federal agency and phished for personally identifiable information, including Social Security numbers, the FCC said.
—PC Magazine, 2 Dec. 2025
Among businesses scammers reportedly impersonated, Amazon was at the top at 35%, followed by Apple at 6%.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 28 Nov. 2025
Four elderly Novato residents were targeted by callers who demanded cash and impersonated police employees or debt collectors, police said Wednesday.
—Cameron MacDonald, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
The experience of being impersonated led de Blasio to reflect on the need for stronger action around the safety risks of emerging technology.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
The technology sold to Qualcomm was purportedly invented by Arabi’s sister, Sheida Alan, but prosecutors alleged Arabi was the true inventor and also impersonated his sister in communications related to the start-up company behind the technology — Abreezio.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
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
In some cases, those people impersonated a federal agency and phished for personally identifiable information, including Social Security numbers, the FCC said.
—PC Magazine, 2 Dec. 2025
Among businesses scammers reportedly impersonated, Amazon was at the top at 35%, followed by Apple at 6%.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 28 Nov. 2025
Four elderly Novato residents were targeted by callers who demanded cash and impersonated police employees or debt collectors, police said Wednesday.
—Cameron MacDonald, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
The experience of being impersonated led de Blasio to reflect on the need for stronger action around the safety risks of emerging technology.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
The technology sold to Qualcomm was purportedly invented by Arabi’s sister, Sheida Alan, but prosecutors alleged Arabi was the true inventor and also impersonated his sister in communications related to the start-up company behind the technology — Abreezio.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonated
Verb
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Several protesters with megaphones frequently celebrated or mocked the assassination of Charlie Kirk, usually accompanying the taunts with profanity.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Jan. 2026
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Tesla posted its second consecutive sales decline, losing its long‑held electric vehicle crown to a company the billionaire once mocked.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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England only played one warm-up match before the series, against an England Lions team, while McCullum’s attack-minded philosophy has also been questioned amid a number of hapless dismissals during the series.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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After coming out of the game briefly three times in the first half, which ended with Boise State trailing 50-29, Meadow played all 20 minutes of the second half and the entirety of the three five-minute OT periods.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And as the Kanneh-Mason clan grew, the younger siblings — as younger siblings do — imitated the bigger kids, a glorious chain reaction.—
Jon Wertheim,
CBS News,
22 Dec. 2025
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There was one take [where] every mannerism or gesture that Kim would do in her performance, Sarah imitated.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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For example, Medicare reimburses $1,375 for a colonoscopy performed in a hospital outpatient department — and $862 for one performed in an independent ambulatory surgery center.—
Tomas J. Philipson,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The officers performed lifesaving measures until EMS arrived at the scene.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The first adaptation of author Mary Shelley's classic 1818 novel came in 1931, when Boris Karloff portrayed the monster in Frankenstein.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
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On the big screen, Harford cared for Sandra Dee’s Rosalie Stocker in The Wild and the Innocent (1959) and portrayed the opportunistic older sister of Natalie Wood’s unstable title character in Inside Daisy Clover (1965), the melodrama directed by Robert Mulligan.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Ohio's state House passed the Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act in late 2025, but has not been acted on in the state Senate.—
Jolene Almendarez,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
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Authorities acted swiftly, issuing an urgent public alert and launching a search in the woods near her home.—
Outside,
Outside,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As depicted in the film, the real Kelley also got to know Goring’s family, delivering letters from the German military man to his wife.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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Hatchie is the project of Harriette Pilbeam, one part dream-pop, another shoegaze, and which, earlier in her career, the Australian singer and songwriter depicted as a creative mashup of Cocteau Twins with Kylie Minogue.—
Lars Brandle,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That fear can contribute to impulsive decisions, overtrading, and emotional fatigue - outcomes sometimes interpreted as personal failure rather than a response to the way risk is structured.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
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Indeed, the removal of Maduro could be interpreted as a slap in the face for Beijing, given a high-ranking Chinese delegation was hosted in his Caracas palace just hours earlier.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impersonated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonated. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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