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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impersonating
But the move comes as scam texts impersonating toll agencies, courts and banks are surging nationwide.
—
Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Additionally, Felisa was sentenced to six months for covering up the kidnapping and impersonating the victim — her sentence was later increased to 28 months.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
And just this month, a correspondent for Reuters in Saudi Arabia warned his followers that someone was impersonating him on WhatsApp.
—Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2026
This follows a wave of scam emails reported in late February, where fraudsters were impersonating the SSA.
—Jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
InfoBlox identified fake apps impersonating airlines, banks, insurance commission, government tourism authorities, and tax departments.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
In a message from True Religion to Saba following the incident, the brand said the report was filed due to Saba’s unauthorized entry to the offices by impersonating as a delivery person and his initial refusal to leave, which alarmed the brand’s staff.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 5 Apr. 2026
His arrest was the result of an undercover sting operation by a Carver County sheriff’s detective impersonating a 15-year-old girl online.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026
Last year, the FBI warned of an AI scam impersonating top officials, while the use of AI in music continues to be a point of contention.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Additionally, Felisa was sentenced to six months for covering up the kidnapping and impersonating the victim — her sentence was later increased to 28 months.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
And just this month, a correspondent for Reuters in Saudi Arabia warned his followers that someone was impersonating him on WhatsApp.
—Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2026
This follows a wave of scam emails reported in late February, where fraudsters were impersonating the SSA.
—Jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
InfoBlox identified fake apps impersonating airlines, banks, insurance commission, government tourism authorities, and tax departments.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
In a message from True Religion to Saba following the incident, the brand said the report was filed due to Saba’s unauthorized entry to the offices by impersonating as a delivery person and his initial refusal to leave, which alarmed the brand’s staff.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 5 Apr. 2026
His arrest was the result of an undercover sting operation by a Carver County sheriff’s detective impersonating a 15-year-old girl online.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026
Last year, the FBI warned of an AI scam impersonating top officials, while the use of AI in music continues to be a point of contention.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonating
Verb
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Punk then resorted to mocking Reigns.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
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In non-CinemaCon news, the looksmaxx influencer managed to unite the internets in mocking his dew-eyed meltdown and interview walk-off over being asked modestly difficult questions about his reputation (instead of being asked, say, which moisturizer is best for post-jaw hammering).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When the reports surfaced that the Saudis were cutting off LIV’s funding, the league was playing a tournament in Mexico City.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
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Promotion to League One in just their second attempt after taking 132 years to reach the EFL is one thing, but their playing style under former Brentford and Northampton goalkeeper Andy Woodman only adds to the curiosity around them.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Life imitating art By the time Artemis astronauts begin assembling a real foothold at the Moon’s south pole, the blueprint will feel oddly familiar, at least to those sim addicts who have been dreaming of a functional moon colony for decades now.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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Both of us remember childhood weekends spent recording our own camcorder sketch shows — Lee imitating Dana Carvey’s Ross Perot and Molly Shannon’s Mary Catherine Gallagher, Jenn pushing the boundaries of absurdism far past the point of actually getting laughs.—
Lee Kelly,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ann Jillian went from a Disney child star to a '80s sitcom favorite, even portraying her own battle with cancer on screen.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Yes, Jaafar is actually singing while portraying Michael, with the late singer's vocals also being blended into some of the tracks.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, said in a statement that the renowned performing artist will offer a thrilling glimpse into the minds of newsmakers.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
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For the project, Theron, famous for performing the vast majority of her stunts in action films like Atomic Blonde and The Old Guard, trained with rock climber Beth Rodden to believably portray Sasha, an avid adventurer.—
Nigel Smith,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With Sturm acting as the third forward high on the shift and Quinn Hughes busy breaking ankles all over the zone and reading perfectly off Brock Faber, McCarron won a puck battle with Heiskanen after Jake Oettinger couldn’t swallow a Faber shot 13 seconds before Foligno’s eventual goal.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Between Dua’s world tour and Callum’s acting gigs, the pair managed to squeeze in a sunny escape to the gorgeous Italian island last summer, with their adventures across the island going viral within minutes of them leaving each spot.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An impressive theater Each of the three stories of the West Theater was surrounded by 16 columns, between which statues of gods were displayed, often depicting scenes from Homer’s epics.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
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But if the estate is legally prohibited from depicting basically the entire second half of Jackson’s life, what would a second movie even be about?—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This excitement could be explained by the novelty of photos from space, but these images also distinguish themselves as products of astronauts experiencing these sights and interpreting them through their photographs.—
Christye Sisson,
The Conversation,
13 Apr. 2026
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The robots are also capable of identifying objects, detecting motion, interpreting emotional cues, and responding accordingly.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impersonating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonating. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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