impostors

noun

variants or imposters
plural of impostor
as in frauds
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

Relevance

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 impostors Then check your insurance account and watch for imposters who know just enough to sound convincing. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026 Heroes have to figure out who's who, what's going on, and if longtime friends are actual allies or extraterrestrial imposters. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 July 2026 This stops deepfakes and imposters. — Rohan Pinto, Forbes.com, 26 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 The 2025 major league impostors did not win a series until June. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026 In the end, Zac – who pretended to be rich – and Sharma – who pretended to be his mentor – were both imposters. — Frank Langfitt, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026 The impostors have been presenting themselves as representatives of the Texas Department of Insurance's Division of Workers' Compensation. — Doug Myers, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impostors
  1. frauds
  2. fakes
  3. pretenders
  4. shams
Noun
  • In 2018, Modi was accused by Indian authorities of orchestrating one of the country’s largest bank frauds in modern history.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • In 2024, Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating what prosecutors have called one of the biggest financial frauds in American history.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of frauds
Noun
  • Trump’s improbable rise to political dominance, which polls failed to register in the lead-up to the 2016 election, is a clear testament to that reality, and now Michigan has shown how similar head fakes can occur on the left.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 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 fakes
Noun
  • 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
  • Now, hardship seems to be an end in itself, a battle scar or badge of honor that distinguishes true backpackers from mere pretenders.
    — Tim Brinkhof, Time, 4 May 2026
Definition of pretenders
Noun
  • Shop the matching—and on-sale—pillow shams to complete the look.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 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 shams

Browse Nearby Words

impostor
impostors
imposts
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impostors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impostors. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on impostors

Nglish: Translation of impostors for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All