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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impersonating
Jason Hobby was arrested by the Larimer County Sheriff's Office following the July 29, 2024 fire and charged with first-degree arson, along with several other offenses including impersonating a peace officer, menacing and false imprisonment.
—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Determined to be seen as extraordinary, Elizabeth begins copying, stalking and impersonating Laura to try and win a Harvard spot for herself.
—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Vance Boelter, the Minnesota man accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer and fatally shooting the state’s former House speaker in what authorities have described as a politically motivated assassination, pleaded guilty Thursday.
—
Chloe Atkins,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
Boelter also faces state charges of impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty.
—
Tim Sullivan,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Willard has been charged with one count each of kidnapping and impersonating a police officer, according to online court records, which do not show plea or attorney information.
—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
Two of their supporters were so desperate to be at the game away to Crystal Palace yesterday that they were arrested on suspicion of impersonating stewards (nice try).
—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Clinton Wayne Nelan, 33, of Elkins, who was arrested Sunday, is charged with misuse of a local emergency telephone system and impersonating a law enforcement officer, according to the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office.
—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
That scheme involved operatives impersonating recruiters and executive search consultants on LinkedIn and Telegram and then sending unwitting job-seeking targets standard technical coding tests laced with malware.
—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Determined to be seen as extraordinary, Elizabeth begins copying, stalking and impersonating Laura to try and win a Harvard spot for herself.
—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Vance Boelter, the Minnesota man accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer and fatally shooting the state’s former House speaker in what authorities have described as a politically motivated assassination, pleaded guilty Thursday.
—
Chloe Atkins,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
Boelter also faces state charges of impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty.
—
Tim Sullivan,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Willard has been charged with one count each of kidnapping and impersonating a police officer, according to online court records, which do not show plea or attorney information.
—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
Two of their supporters were so desperate to be at the game away to Crystal Palace yesterday that they were arrested on suspicion of impersonating stewards (nice try).
—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Clinton Wayne Nelan, 33, of Elkins, who was arrested Sunday, is charged with misuse of a local emergency telephone system and impersonating a law enforcement officer, according to the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office.
—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
That scheme involved operatives impersonating recruiters and executive search consultants on LinkedIn and Telegram and then sending unwitting job-seeking targets standard technical coding tests laced with malware.
—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonating
Verb
-
Supporters jokingly call themselves unemployed and chronically online, while videos and memes mocking unemployment, corruption and political dysfunction have attracted millions of views.
-
Reese and the Dream played Indiana on Thursday as well, where Reese was caught mocking Clark by flailing around during the stoppage in play.
Verb
-
Ella Bruccoleri may be playing a Bennet sister on TV, but the actress wasn’t always a fan of Jane Austen.
-
According to court documents, Zimmerman was playing golf at the hotel's course throughout the day with friends.
Verb
-
As a 7-year-old, I’d entertain my father’s friends, at their weekly pickup game at a Bronx barn-house gymnasium, by imitating his game face—bottom lip jutting, eyes scowling.
-
Carol Channing reduced Shalit to tears of laughter with her tale of a London dinner party with Lady Astor and Sir Benjamin Harrison by imitating the latter.
Verb
-
In one section, Mayer turns her focus to Diana, portraying the late princess as a woman whose extraordinary capacity for empathy was matched by a deep belief in romance — and whose hopes for love often collided with reality.
-
Now that this population is finally getting highlighted more directly in media, what should these shows and movies be portraying?
Verb
-
The board appointed veteran district administrator Andres Chait as acting superintendent.
-
Bhushan also served as acting surgeon general of California in 2022.
Verb
-
There isn't a second credits scene, but moviegoers who stick around until the very end will see Lilypad performing an amusing little rap with some of the other toys, including Bad Bunny's Pizza with Sunglasses, as the credits finish scrolling.
-
That, in turn, strengthens the case for the Bank of Korea to raise interest rates, the very pressure that has made Korean government bonds the worst-performing sovereign debt in the world this year.
Verb
-
Kimura says his fascination with upskirting began at the age of 15, with pornography depicting staged scenarios.
-
However, a bronze bust depicting Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, stood out the most to archaeologists.
Verb
-
High-school students could read this without needing to spend time interpreting the text’s direct meaning.
-
Yet interpreting those rules can be almost as challenging as trying to whack the ball toward the flagstick.
Cite this Entry
“Impersonating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonating. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
