personate

verb

ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt How to pronounce personate (audio)
Definition of personatenext
as in to play
to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior likes to personate the man of the world, but he's still the small-town hick that he always was

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 personate Till’s motifs swept though the ensemble, as horns, clarinets, bassoons, violin all had a chance to personate the character. — By Libby Hanssen, kansascity.com, 3 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for personate
  1. play
  2. impersonate
  3. imitate
  4. mock
  5. portray
  6. act
Verb
  • The bridge — which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario — was named after legendary Canadian hockey player Gordie Howe who played for the Detroit Red Wings, symbolizing the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
  • Starling Marte moved over to right field and Isaac Collins came in to play left field.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026
Definition of play
Verb
  • Security researchers at Jamf Threat Labs have uncovered CrashStealer, a new Mac information stealer that impersonates Apple's crash-reporting software.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
  • Homestead Police Chief Mario Knapp is warning the public after scammers impersonated him in an attempt to steal sensitive banking information.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
Definition of impersonate
Verb
  • Creator culture can imitate the feeling of belonging without creating the lasting structure of belonging.
    — Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Technology that augments humans spreads prosperity, but technology built to imitate and substitute for them concentrates it.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of imitate
Verb
  • Fans rightfully mocked the dancing cars mounted on robot arms that played during an inexplicable diversion on Universal Studios Hollywood’s Studio Tour.
    — Robert Niles, Oc Register, 21 July 2026
  • By and large, the General Assembly mocks his policy proposals and ignores his leadership.
    — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026
Definition of mock
Verb
  • For the cover of the July 27, 2026, issue, the artist Marcellus Hall portrayed the effect that global warming has on subway riders.
    — Françoise Mouly, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • The Modi government has portrayed the demonstrators as villains.
    — Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 July 2026
Definition of portray
Verb
  • Qatar and Pakistan have acted as mediators between Iran and the US.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • The team’s recital of the pre-match national anthem almost acted like a referendum on each player’s patriotism.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of act

Browse Nearby Words

personalty
personate
personated
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Cite this Entry

“Personate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/personate. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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