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 stops deepfakes and imposters. — Rohan Pinto, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 Savannah continues to ask the public for help locating her missing mother, while an imposter who sent fraudulent ransom demands has been arrested. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026 When news of Israel’s secret outposts in Iraq’s desert emerged, Iraqis admonished their leaders as traitors, and the boisterous militiamen affiliated with the government as impostors for allowing their land to be colonized by an enemy. — Nabil Salih, Time, 26 May 2026 Other professional sports associations, including the major pro leagues, have taken similar measures as NASCAR in attempting to protect their brands and fans from fraudulent imposters. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 May 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
  • The stage, now covered in water, is quickly cleared as Holzinger comforts Nüganen; the fake-out isn’t entirely apparent until Saioa Alvarez comes out dressed as a plumber to take a look.
    — Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • In this case, as staff eventually discovered, the box had been returned – but the books themselves had been replaced with fakes.
    — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Definition of fake
Noun
  • Made false claims of massive fraud of millions of undocumented people voting.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
  • The consignor was later identified as an accomplice in a separate auction fraud case in Hebei province.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of fraud
Noun
  • At least one of them will in the coming weeks likely be exposed as a pretender.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026
  • To add to the challenge, Brady also left his mark on the latest pretender to his crown.
    — Peter Carline, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of pretender
Noun
  • Thoughtful details like precision stitching and rounded corners help keep the lightweight fill evenly in place, while the matching shams feature discrete overlap closures with charming scalloped trim.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026
  • Treat it as the foundation for a beautifully layered bed or add the matching pillow shams to streamline the look.
    — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 17 July 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
  • In place of San Francisco’s decaying arts bohemia of poseurs and charlatans, they can be said to be creating an alternate bohemia.
    — Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Others estimate that $500 billion in federal spending is diverted by charlatans each year.
    — Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 7 June 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 25 Jul. 2026.

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