1
as in mocking
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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2
as in playing
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
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Recent Examples of impersonating
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
Julián Jiménez, seen here with his wife, said he was scammed by people impersonating Catholic Charities.
—Albinson Linares, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
An aspiring author had sent Hoover their manuscript, also copying a fraudulent email impersonating Hoover on the email chain.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Another measure that passed the House on Thursday was a bill to increase penalties for someone impersonating an officer.
—Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026
Jarosz said detectives are working to identify any additional victims who may have been involved in other incidents with the suspect or someone impersonating a police officer.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Investigatorts are also working to identify any additional victims or similar incidents involving Kroning or someone impersonating a police officer, the office said.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Additionally, Felisa was sentenced to six months for covering up the kidnapping and impersonating the victim — her sentence was later increased to 28 months.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
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
Julián Jiménez, seen here with his wife, said he was scammed by people impersonating Catholic Charities.
—Albinson Linares, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
An aspiring author had sent Hoover their manuscript, also copying a fraudulent email impersonating Hoover on the email chain.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Another measure that passed the House on Thursday was a bill to increase penalties for someone impersonating an officer.
—Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026
Jarosz said detectives are working to identify any additional victims who may have been involved in other incidents with the suspect or someone impersonating a police officer.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Investigatorts are also working to identify any additional victims or similar incidents involving Kroning or someone impersonating a police officer, the office said.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Additionally, Felisa was sentenced to six months for covering up the kidnapping and impersonating the victim — her sentence was later increased to 28 months.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonating
Verb
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Punk then resorted to mocking Reigns.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
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In non-CinemaCon news, the looksmaxx influencer managed to unite the internets in mocking his dew-eyed meltdown and interview walk-off over being asked modestly difficult questions about his reputation (instead of being asked, say, which moisturizer is best for post-jaw hammering).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Ann Jillian went from a Disney child star to a '80s sitcom favorite, even portraying her own battle with cancer on screen.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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Yes, Jaafar is actually singing while portraying Michael, with the late singer's vocals also being blended into some of the tracks.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, said in a statement that the renowned performing artist will offer a thrilling glimpse into the minds of newsmakers.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
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For the project, Theron, famous for performing the vast majority of her stunts in action films like Atomic Blonde and The Old Guard, trained with rock climber Beth Rodden to believably portray Sasha, an avid adventurer.—
Nigel Smith,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With Sturm acting as the third forward high on the shift and Quinn Hughes busy breaking ankles all over the zone and reading perfectly off Brock Faber, McCarron won a puck battle with Heiskanen after Jake Oettinger couldn’t swallow a Faber shot 13 seconds before Foligno’s eventual goal.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Between Dua’s world tour and Callum’s acting gigs, the pair managed to squeeze in a sunny escape to the gorgeous Italian island last summer, with their adventures across the island going viral within minutes of them leaving each spot.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An impressive theater Each of the three stories of the West Theater was surrounded by 16 columns, between which statues of gods were displayed, often depicting scenes from Homer’s epics.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
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But if the estate is legally prohibited from depicting basically the entire second half of Jackson’s life, what would a second movie even be about?—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When interpreting known brands, his first mission is authenticity.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
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This long-term evolution culminated in the training of an algorithm capable of accurately interpreting and recognizing complex patterns of electrical pulses within the system.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impersonating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonating. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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