Thesaurus results for IMPERSONATE

impersonate

verb

im-ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt

Definition of impersonate

as in to imitate

to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior a school intruder was caught trying to impersonate a teacher

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to portray

to present a portrayal or performance of interpreters at the living history museum impersonate figures who are known to have actually lived in the colonial town

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 impersonate The association said the money was lost after criminals impersonated its leadership and manipulated financial transactions. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Getty Images Fraudsters are mailing physical letters to crypto holders, impersonating the IRS and directing recipients to a fake government website. — Shehan Chandrasekera, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 The Monroe Public Safety Department and the Monroe County Sheriff's Office are warning residents about scam phone calls impersonating police. — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 The Good Will Hunting star portrayed Merritt Rook, an audio engineer impersonating a police officer on phone calls. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for impersonate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonate

Verb

But in a case of life imitating art, the show’s entire publicity strategy was inadvertently wrecked by a real-life aristocrat, after reports leaked that Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was being eyed for a role in the series.

— K.J. Yossman, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
But from Ossoff, who cuts a more wholesome figure and doesn’t imitate the president, the attacks are more surprising—and therefore perhaps more effective.

— Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of imitate

Verb

By this reasoning, federal agencies must be allowed to complete rulemaking before judges intervene, and challenges to the order are portrayed as speculative attempts to stop reforms that could be crafted within constitutional limits.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Following his success on M*A*S*H, Alda continued playing a TV doctor on ER in 1999 and six episodes of The Big C, as well as portraying a psychiatrist on Ray Donovan.

— Rachel Flynn, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of portray

Verb

The viral video of Gibson appearing to mock the Fan Expo ASL interpreter sparked backlash against the actor as well as FanExpo for platforming the controversial star.

— Zack Sharf, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Mel Gibson apologized Monday after video surfaced showing the actor mocking a sign language interpreter.

— Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of mock

Verb

Investments in big-name stars did not pan out, including a seven-year, $245 million deal for Anthony Rendon that had to be restructured and will end after this season, with Rendon playing just 257 games for the franchise and none since 2024.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Rumors have circulated that Stan may be playing Harvey Dent, the district attorney who eventually becomes the villainous Two-Face and was previously portrayed by Aaron Eckhart, Tommy Lee Jones, and Billy Dee Williams.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of play

Verb

Prior to touching down in Canada, Perry had been performing Down Under for an extended run.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
While the festival’s total donation pool is yet unclear, Rodrigo has said that all artists on the lineup are performing for free, though production and staffing costs for a fest this size will be substantial.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of perform

Verb

Golf equipment powerhouse Callaway ended its partnership with Good Good Golf amid the justified backlash over a video ad for a new Callaway driver that depicts a man aggressively shoving a woman to the ground.

— Greg Cote August 30, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
And inside, the shoe’s insoles are printed with graphics depicting piles of beads — just in case the inspiration was lost on anyone.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of depict

Verb

When officials disagree, even if legitimate based on terminology, the general public can interpret that disagreement as evidence that officials do not have a solid understanding of the outbreak.

— Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments have been interpreted different ways over the years.

— NBC news, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of interpret

Browse Nearby Words

impersonal

impersonate

impersonated

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“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonate. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of impersonate

verb

Example Sentences

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