1
as in mocking
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 playing
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 impersonating
The Board of Supervisors also voted Tuesday on a separate proposal to explore options for cracking down on the sale of counterfeit law enforcement gear, like clothing or badges, intended for the purpose of impersonating agents.
—
Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025
Justin Simmons, 30, is charged with impersonating a peace officer and kidnapping.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025
Kenan pops up to confront her for impersonating a police officer at her concerts.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
Following the second kidnapping, Berchtold faced several criminal charges, including first-degree kidnapping and impersonating a central intelligence agent.
—Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
Heimpold was personally charged with impersonating a police officer for allegedly robbing multiple people in 2021.
—Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Oct. 2025
This kind of fraud, resembling that experienced by Anthony, exploits a person’s emotions, inciting fear and anxiety, by impersonating a grandchild or other family member in distress.
—Madhusree Mukerjee, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2025
Consumers increasingly must realize that con artists are often impersonating banks, government agencies and others in authority.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
Sheriff's offices warn of scam calls impersonating officers in southeast Wisconsin.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025
Justin Simmons, 30, is charged with impersonating a peace officer and kidnapping.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025
Kenan pops up to confront her for impersonating a police officer at her concerts.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
Following the second kidnapping, Berchtold faced several criminal charges, including first-degree kidnapping and impersonating a central intelligence agent.
—Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
Heimpold was personally charged with impersonating a police officer for allegedly robbing multiple people in 2021.
—Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Oct. 2025
This kind of fraud, resembling that experienced by Anthony, exploits a person’s emotions, inciting fear and anxiety, by impersonating a grandchild or other family member in distress.
—Madhusree Mukerjee, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2025
Consumers increasingly must realize that con artists are often impersonating banks, government agencies and others in authority.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
Sheriff's offices warn of scam calls impersonating officers in southeast Wisconsin.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonating
Verb
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Even shoppers nibbling on a slice of pizza seemed to be mocking him.—
Jeff Pearlman,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
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Link was captured on Ring camera footage mocking and belittling Jimenez after shooting him, Bergida said.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Despite playing before halftime, Scheierman and Walsh were not put back on the court again until the final seconds.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Investigators pointed to a March 23, 2023, game involving Rozier, then playing for the Charlotte Hornets.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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How does this help democracy, imitating what Texas is doing?—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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In an instance of art imitating life, the film's soundtrack also achieved great success as the highest-debuting soundtrack of 2025 on the Billboard 200.—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Andrew Garfield leads the feature that is now in production, portraying the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
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Think less focus on portraying perfection, and more focus on storytelling.—
Liz Regalia,
Parents,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Although the Peacock adaptation didn't show a full shot of Gacy in his clown costume, the series included scenes of him talking about his passion for dressing up as a clown and publicly performing as one.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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The clip, directed by Adrian Rickard Ennis, splices together footage of Freeman performing and New Mexico’s annual Cerrillos Burro race.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Jodi Benson sang her daughter Delaney Benson's praises for following in her acting career footsteps while also carving out a name for herself at the same time.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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Her intervention comes amid concerns in the acting community about the creation of Norwood and how avatars like her could ultimately replace lower profile performers.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The cardstock depicting everything from NFL standouts to Pokémon and even Taylor Swift is one of the hottest toy categories in stores this year.—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
18 Oct. 2025
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While there are strong free speech interests in depicting historical figures, OpenAI believes public figures and their families should ultimately have control over how their likeness is used.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Velasco wanted to think beyond interpreting color and subject matter with choreography, which focuses on changing levels of direction, shapes and floor patterns.—
Marcia Luttrell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Oct. 2025
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Some Western observers have seized on reports that certain clans and groups, like the Doghmush and the Shabab, are openly cooperating with Israeli forces, interpreting this as a rejection of Hamas's extremism.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impersonating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonating. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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