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

Relevance

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 Hey, the boss needs a favor In a November 2025 Reddit post, one person described buying $800 in Target gift cards on their second day at a new job after receiving an email impersonating their boss. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 Maslow went so far as to impersonate agents and applicants on the phone, according to prosecutors. — CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 Then another old friend of Mary’s, the shape-shifting warlock William (Devon Sawa), is revealed to have been impersonating a teacher. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026 Colbert gifted Kimmel his Captain America shield, did a sketch-within-an-interview with his son impersonating a Kiwi police officer, and shaved for our amusement. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for impersonate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonate

Verb

The museum brought a tremendous wow factor that cities around the world were soon clamoring to imitate.

— Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
OpenAI denied intentionally imitating Johansson’s voice and later withdrew the feature.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of imitate

Verb

Rogers has increasingly portrayed El-Sayed as an extremist and a threat to Jewish voters as the Republican tries to win over a traditionally Democratic constituency.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Landon starred as the Ingalls family patriarch, Charles, Karen Grassle played his wife, Caroline, and Gilbert portrayed their daughter, Laura.

— Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of portray

Verb

Critics mocked Zacharia’s performance during her first and last press conference on Tuesday, and ripped her for describing herself as an attorney, despite having never passed the bar exam.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2026
The Difference Between Names And Dynamics Richard Feynman recalled being mocked by another child for not knowing a bird’s name.

— Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of mock

Verb

All the more reason for leaders to play the generosity sweepstakes in ways that are advantageous to them.

— Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
The case has led to calls for tougher oversight of churches and other religious organizations in a country where religious faith plays a prominent role in public life.

— Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of play

Verb

Specifically, the king created a watercolor depicting Birkhall, the British royal family’s private country residence in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the Balmoral estate, which was reproduced on some of the pieces in the capsule collection.

— Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
Much of the film contrasts light and dark, yet the scene depicting Robert Ford’s murder takes place in a bar housed in a tent, surrounded by snow, its interior swathed in flat, even light.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of depict

Verb

Here, the feature is designed to acquire and interpret the substance of a conversation — and the user has deliberately opted in.

— MacKenzie Sigalos,Annie Palmer, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
Part of its purpose, from the beginning, was not only to deliver new facts but to interpret ragged events for a nervous audience of relatively prosperous, largely white viewers who shared Wallace’s concern about the shape and tenor of the future.

— Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of interpret

Browse Nearby Words

impersonal

impersonate

impersonated

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonate. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of impersonate

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes