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
Later, investigators found that an adult woman had impersonated the child, who was already dead at the time, during that video call.
—
Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
Federal investigators said the group impersonated security technicians and employees of cryptocurrency exchange companies such as Coinbase and Gemini to steal from their victims.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Julián Jiménez Catholic Charities has publicly warned that its representatives are being impersonated to scam immigrants.
—Albinson Linares, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
The switch from country superstar to incognito face in the crowd feels Hannah Montana-coded — fitting for a singer who impersonated the Disney icon at parties before finding fame herself.
—Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
After obtaining victims’ personally identifiable information, Burge and Bospflug impersonated the victims at banks and opened accounts in the victims’ names, prosecutors said.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
In 2023, Reuters reported that two of its reporters in China were being impersonated via Instagram and Telegram accounts that were attempting to get information on activists protesting the country’s COVID-19 policies.
—Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2026
The account, which impersonated Jonathan’s veterinarian, Joe Hollins, quickly gained traction and sparked concern among fans around the world.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
But the mechanics of the fraud stay largely the same regardless of which badge is being impersonated.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
Federal investigators said the group impersonated security technicians and employees of cryptocurrency exchange companies such as Coinbase and Gemini to steal from their victims.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Julián Jiménez Catholic Charities has publicly warned that its representatives are being impersonated to scam immigrants.
—Albinson Linares, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
The switch from country superstar to incognito face in the crowd feels Hannah Montana-coded — fitting for a singer who impersonated the Disney icon at parties before finding fame herself.
—Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
After obtaining victims’ personally identifiable information, Burge and Bospflug impersonated the victims at banks and opened accounts in the victims’ names, prosecutors said.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
In 2023, Reuters reported that two of its reporters in China were being impersonated via Instagram and Telegram accounts that were attempting to get information on activists protesting the country’s COVID-19 policies.
—Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2026
The account, which impersonated Jonathan’s veterinarian, Joe Hollins, quickly gained traction and sparked concern among fans around the world.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
But the mechanics of the fraud stay largely the same regardless of which badge is being impersonated.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonated
Verb
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On a bench outside, as mums with their toddlers drink coffee, Trusty is talking about his start in a sport he was mocked for playing as a youngster.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
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Jon Stewart also mocked the golden display.—
Tiago Ventura,
Time,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Chris Sanon, the Orlando area’s leader in sacks a year ago, played well in his move to linebacker from edge rusher.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
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He’s only played in four major championships in his career.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Streep imitated how Hawn, 80, would arrive on set, always apologetic.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
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For starters, as Anthropic’s explicit focus on mitigating the risks of AI has apparently won the trust of many consumers, OpenAI has imitated many of its rival’s safety initiatives.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The suit says that Cantrell was eventually transferred to Oregon Health & Science University hospital, where doctors immediately recognized his condition as life-threatening, stabilized him and performed multiple surgeries, including amputating his arm up to his shoulder.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
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No autopsy was performed after Chad declined, and she was buried within days, per KSL-TV.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Verb
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In the film, Walter portrayed Chessy, the housekeeper and nanny to Nick Parker (played by Dennis Quaid).—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
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Some have portrayed family caregivers as illegitimately cashing in on government largesse.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Verb
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According to Stern, there is also guardianship paperwork, which has been signed by the children’s mother, that delegates parental authority to Omar, who Stern says has acted as a liaison for the children on school and medical matters because their mother does not speak English, per Rochester First.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
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Angus Scott also said ChatGPT acted as a medical doctor in its exchanges with his stepson, even though it was not licensed to offer medical advice.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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In an odd coincidence that shows how much this kind of story was burning to be told, two movies debuting at major festivals this past year have both depicted the same unlikely gay romance — one involving gritty, hardworking professional truckers living on the road.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
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Nagatitan’s name references Naga, a serpent-like being in some Asian religious traditions that is prominently depicted in various Thai temples.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Verb
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After cards are pulled, their meanings are interpreted through the lens of the reader’s question, circumstances and life history.—
Ziv Epstein,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
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Every infectious disease event is now interpreted through the emotional memory of COVID — whether scientifically appropriate or not.—
Steve Brozak,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impersonated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonated. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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