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
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
According to Amazon, of all the scams impersonating Amazon reported by its customers globally in 2023, over two-thirds of scams claimed to be related to order or account issues.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Two Connecticut men are facing charges in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicaid by impersonating a physician.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 3 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
Man attempts to free Mangione On Wednesday, a Minnesota man was arrested for allegedly impersonating an FBI agent and trying to free Mangione.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Garnett’s pivotal rulings came a day after a 35-year-old Minnesota man was charged with impersonating an FBI agent in an apparent attempt to spring Mangione from federal lockup in Brooklyn in a bizarre episode detailed in court documents.
—Adam Reiss, NBC news, 30 Jan. 2026
Reverence for all the others in recent—and distant—memory gunned down by the law, or, in one recent murder of the state’s DFL Speaker of the House of Representatives, Melissa Hortman and her husband, gunned down in their pajamas this past summer by someone impersonating the law.
—Ed Bok Lee, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
He is being charged with impersonating an FBI agent.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 29 Jan. 2026
Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
According to Amazon, of all the scams impersonating Amazon reported by its customers globally in 2023, over two-thirds of scams claimed to be related to order or account issues.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Two Connecticut men are facing charges in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicaid by impersonating a physician.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 3 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
Man attempts to free Mangione On Wednesday, a Minnesota man was arrested for allegedly impersonating an FBI agent and trying to free Mangione.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Garnett’s pivotal rulings came a day after a 35-year-old Minnesota man was charged with impersonating an FBI agent in an apparent attempt to spring Mangione from federal lockup in Brooklyn in a bizarre episode detailed in court documents.
—Adam Reiss, NBC news, 30 Jan. 2026
Reverence for all the others in recent—and distant—memory gunned down by the law, or, in one recent murder of the state’s DFL Speaker of the House of Representatives, Melissa Hortman and her husband, gunned down in their pajamas this past summer by someone impersonating the law.
—Ed Bok Lee, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
He is being charged with impersonating an FBI agent.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonating
Verb
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Claude, Anthropic’s chatbot, released multiple ads earlier this month mocking OpenAI for its decision to display ads on ChatGPT.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
12 Feb. 2026
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The only notable Paxton campaign TV spot has been centered around an AI video mocking Cornyn.—
Joseph Morton,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Baseball owners, with Dick Monfort playing a prominent role as a hawk in labor negotiations, are expected to lock out the players after this season, seeking a salary cap, believing that is the only reason the Dodgers win.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
12 Feb. 2026
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Back in 2013, Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez tore a ligament in his thumb while playing for the Dominican Republic.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, previously said in a statement that accounts imitating other people go against their terms of service and are removed when flagged.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
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Broncos fans have rallied around their backup quarterback, with thousands of fans changing their social media avatars to a picture of Stidham’s face, photoshopped with sunglasses and headphones, imitating a LeBron James meme.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Still, the actress felt the weight of portraying a figure so beloved for her signature minimalist style.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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Alberdi explores the tale from Ale’s perspective through the use of dramatizations, with actress Ana Celeste Montalvo Peña portraying Ale, and Armando Espitia as Arturo.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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By controlling edge recombination through passivation, these wafers can maintain strong carrier collection and high efficiency, translating their theoretical advantages into practical, high-performing solar cells.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
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The Bluewater Kings Band will be performing throughout the reception, with instrumentals during cocktail hour.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The common factor in all of this is the Federal Reserve (albeit acting in very good faith in response to successive defense, financial and health crises) increased the amount of money sloshing around relative to the size of the economy to unprecedented levels.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
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Hetzel’s contributions to the documentation and preservation of Imperial County history cannot be understated, acting as a valuable resource into understanding the truth of county infrastructure, development and industry.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But just as there’s a difference between depicting chaos and depicting chaotically, there’s a difference between presenting theatergoers with a realistic image of mental illness and driving an audience nuts.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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He was detained nearby during a traffic stop, with photos from Fox depicting him in the parking lot of Culver’s restaurant.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Unlike athletes who have a team of specialists interpreting their pain signals, everyday exercisers generally try to override their pain without interpretation.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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Toxicologist Alex LeBeau urged caution when interpreting the results.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impersonating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonating. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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