impostor

noun

im-ˈpä-stər How to pronounce impostor (audio)
variants or imposter
Definition of impostornext
as in fake
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise the man who claimed to be a prince turned out to be an impostor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 impostor This is fairly confusing, since Izzy and Zach tie with four points apiece and Oscar gets two points – which doesn’t reflect either the imposter voting that round or the voting throughout the game. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026 In Orange County, Rivera reported her impostor to the state bar, which is investigating. — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026 Then check your insurance account and watch for imposters who know just enough to sound convincing. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026 Such impostor scams, when a criminal pretends to be a legitimate business or even a government official, are proliferating and morphing at an accelerated rate as artificial intelligence makes impersonation easier than ever. — Bill Lukitsch, Boston Herald, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for impostor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impostor
  1. fake
  2. fraud
  3. pretender
  4. sham
  5. deceiver
  6. faker
  7. charlatan
  8. mountebank
Noun
  • Many of these goods, which were purchased on online platforms, were fakes that contained dangerous levels of phthalates, lead, formaldehyde, nickel and other substances.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • To combat this, Antinori has been marking its bottles against fakes for years.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of fake
Noun
  • That changed after the 2020 presidential election, when secretaries of state in places such as Arizona, Georgia and Michigan were thrust into battles over election results, certification and false claims of widespread fraud.
    — Thom Reilly, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • As Vanity Fair reported at the time, the article led to an all-hands meeting at The Times where some staffers questioned the choice to run a soft profile on a woman who had been convicted of fraud and was about to head to prison.
    — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of fraud
Noun
  • The transfer portal can transform a contender into a pretender in a single offseason.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The schedule is forgivable, even by ACC standards, but a rematch on the road against Notre Dame will separate the Canes as contenders or pretenders.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of pretender
Noun
  • These sheets and shams are made from Oexo-Tex Certified Organic microfiber material that’s light but surprisingly resilient.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Plus, the set comes with two shams to complete your sanctuary.
    — Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of sham
Noun
  • The actors are perfectly cast, starting with Marmaï’s likable Antoine, the only player here not being the deceiver.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 12 May 2026
  • The film tells the true and twisted tale of a deceiver of land and folk, who, defying her birth as a woman, comported herself as a man and committed many a wicked deed.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of deceiver
Noun
  • To tell the truly venomous from the fakers, there are a couple details to help distinguish the two.
    — Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of faker
Noun
  • Despite the claims of any number of charlatans who prey on the American brand of cuddly benighted ignorance, the universe will not manifest an alternate reality for anyone who simply wishes for it with sufficient longing.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • You and many others have been taken in by a lowlife charlatan.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of charlatan
Noun
  • Good afternoon and welcome to Con Con, the convention for swindlers, mountebanks, and the people who love them.
    — Henry Alford, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
  • Godard might have come across as a species of poseur – a pretentious, quote-spouting mountebank – but his way of seeing was genuinely new.
    — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Nov. 2025
Definition of mountebank

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Cite this Entry

“Impostor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impostor. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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