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
Texas workers are being targeted by scammers impersonating state workers' compensation officials and pressuring victims to pay bogus fees to access their benefits, regulators say.
—
Doug Myers, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
What readers are saying The comments largely focus on the prevalence of phone scams, particularly those impersonating the IRS.
—Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2026
The scammers impersonating Bullock claimed to want to offer financial help, according to the report, but the victim lost $2,100 in a confusing scheme.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
The caller sounded similar to Trump, impersonating the president’s voice in the segment.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 22 Feb. 2026
The government brought forward major reforms and bans on assault-style weapons after the country suffered its worst-ever shooting attack in 2020, when a man impersonating a police officer killed 22 people in northern Nova Scotia.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
After successfully impersonating Sarah Kim as a customer in luxury shops across the city, Mi-jeong hatches a plan to kill Sarah Kim and take her place.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
El Dorado County Sheriff’s officials are warning residents after a man impersonating a deputy pulled over and assaulted a driver last week on a county road before the driver used bear spray to get away.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Prosecutors said the case marked Gallarzo’s third conviction for impersonating a nurse, following similar cases in Michigan in 2016 and Texas in 2017.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Doug Myers, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
What readers are saying The comments largely focus on the prevalence of phone scams, particularly those impersonating the IRS.
—Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2026
The scammers impersonating Bullock claimed to want to offer financial help, according to the report, but the victim lost $2,100 in a confusing scheme.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
The caller sounded similar to Trump, impersonating the president’s voice in the segment.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 22 Feb. 2026
The government brought forward major reforms and bans on assault-style weapons after the country suffered its worst-ever shooting attack in 2020, when a man impersonating a police officer killed 22 people in northern Nova Scotia.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
After successfully impersonating Sarah Kim as a customer in luxury shops across the city, Mi-jeong hatches a plan to kill Sarah Kim and take her place.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
El Dorado County Sheriff’s officials are warning residents after a man impersonating a deputy pulled over and assaulted a driver last week on a county road before the driver used bear spray to get away.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Prosecutors said the case marked Gallarzo’s third conviction for impersonating a nurse, following similar cases in Michigan in 2016 and Texas in 2017.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonating
Verb
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This self-mocking move may be just the prelude to a fuller jeans-guy renaissance, Heffernan suggested.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
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Strickland said, mocking NFL leadership.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Spending time reading with, singing with, or playing games with close pals and family is at the heart of Danish happiness and hygge-ness.—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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Karen was last seen playing outside her home on January 11, 1996, according to CNN affiliate KOLD.—
Elise Hammond,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hemp products imitating the designs of popular children’s snacks have become so common that the Federal Trade Commission told manufacturers to stop in 2023.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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The most graphic pieces incorporate up to 300 different patchwork elements, imitating traditional quilting motifs.—
Alex Wynne,
Footwear News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But Thornton is less interested in portraying his characters as victims than survivors, bound together by the strength of love and resilience.—
Teresa Xie,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2026
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To see an artist of this caliber in such a vulnerable position of trying something new coincided with portraying a character at a turning point in his life.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One of his favorite memories wasn’t taking pictures, but performing with Bob at a Grammy party.—
Alison Weinflash,
Rolling Stone,
21 Feb. 2026
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Patrick Smith / Getty Images Athletes jump off a near-vertical ramp, launching themselves in the air and performing complex aerobatics, reaching speeds of up to more than 65 km per hour.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And [for] a kid that never really went to acting classes and never went to acting school or anything like that, that was my education.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
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This is also a strong day for those in sales, marketing, teaching, acting or writing, because your words are gold!—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from his event for wearing a black-and-white helmet depicting athletes killed in Russia’s war of aggression against his homeland.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
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The visitor center museum includes exhibits depicting what life was like for Sinagua culture.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The debate highlighted the complexities of interpreting statutory language and its implications for international law and foreign policy.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
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The method gives researchers a new analytical lens for interpreting physical artifacts, one that combines computational power with the knowledge of human experts.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impersonating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonating. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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