as in mocking
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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for personating
Verb
-
One side feels mocking people and calling names is OK and not creating hate.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026 -
The entertainer gained notoriety on social media in the late 2010s for his sketches mocking niche everyday scenarios.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
In December 1988, Parrott was convicted of carrying a weapon in Harris County and was later arrested again in May 1990 for impersonating a police officer.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Christopher Aaron Murray faces a series of charges, including impersonating law enforcement, state officials said.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the Ado Annie-like Betsy, a horny teen-ager whose father owns a shotgun, Kurtz is playing a character who should be, and kind of is, a one-joke punch line.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Twin sisters Jordan and Jaedyn Gomez, playing for Boone, lost their second round individual bracket doubles match 6-0, 6-0 against Doral Academy’s top seeded duo of Payton Seidle-Lubowitz and Stefany Zamora.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The contest aims to challenge negative stereotypes of seagulls, which are often seen as a nuisance, by imitating them, per local network WTV.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Another potential treatment route the study opens up is using machines to massage cancer cells, imitating the rhythmic beating of the heart.—
Anil Oza,
STAT,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The messages show discussions not only of removing Moïse from power but also of portraying the operation, after the fact, as the execution of a legal arrest warrant, even as the squad of Colombian commandos entered his residence.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
-
The inaugural lineup will include a range of thematic galleries, beginning with exhibitions focused on architecture and the design influences behind the museum, as well as works by American painter Thomas Hart Benton portraying scenes of everyday life.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The show is postapocalyptic and emotionally manipulative—think The Last of Us meets This Is Us—but the supple acting and careful character development pay off in the latest season.—
Dan Zak,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
-
Republicans only need to keep a 50-seat caucus, with Vice President JD Vance acting as the tie-breaking vote, to retain control of the Senate.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Personating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/personating. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
