variants
or imposters
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of impostors
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
These scams often include government impostors, direct deposit fraud, phishing, identity theft, payment redirection and social media scams.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 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
According to the Federal Trade Commission, imposters posing as government agencies were one of the top reported scams in the Arizona, costing consumers more than $20 million in 2025.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
And when stuck in this uncomfortable space, people who feel like impostors are likely to become defensive and feel pressured to be a hero.
—John M. Lavelle, The Conversation, 9 Dec. 2025
Nabil Salih, Time, 26 May 2026
These scams often include government impostors, direct deposit fraud, phishing, identity theft, payment redirection and social media scams.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 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
According to the Federal Trade Commission, imposters posing as government agencies were one of the top reported scams in the Arizona, costing consumers more than $20 million in 2025.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
And when stuck in this uncomfortable space, people who feel like impostors are likely to become defensive and feel pressured to be a hero.
—John M. Lavelle, The Conversation, 9 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impostors
Noun
-
Lindberg, 56, pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiring to defraud insurers and thousands of policy holders in one of the largest insurance frauds in US history, federal prosecutors said in a statement.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
-
The Man Who Stole Portugal is inspired by the titular true crime book by Murray Teigh Bloom about Alves dos Reis, who pulled off one of the largest frauds in history against the Bank of Portugal in 1925.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The main goal isn't to catch fakes but to move inventory.—
Padmakumar Nair,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
Unfortunately, we were deprived of all those fake idols getting played because players kept leaving the game with fakes in their pockets, socks, and bags.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
This is where hype turns into hard numbers, and contenders start getting separated from pretenders.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This quilt and shams set is reversible, lightweight, high-quality, and breathable.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
-
The king-size quilt measures 90x180 inches, and also comes with two matching 20x36-inch shams.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impostors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impostors. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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