1
as in mocks
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 plays
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impersonates
When an escaped Eleven finds her way to a diner (the image of a bald Brown in a hospital gown shoving fries into her mouth is indelible), Brenner’s team impersonates social services, kills the kind proprietor, but fails to apprehend her.
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Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025
The scam impersonates Walmart and claims someone has made an expensive PS5 order through the user’s account.
—PC Magazine, 2 Dec. 2025
If targets dispute the claims, they are transferred to another caller, who impersonates Chinese law enforcement.
—Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Best Contemporary Piece Sleek and minimalist, this handsome glass model from West Elm impersonates a crystal menorah (without the price point) and allows your candlesticks to do the talking.
—Rachel Fletcher, Architectural Digest, 11 Nov. 2025
Friedland then impersonates his grandmother’s South African accent, to Kind’s delight.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Brit star David Mitchell picked up a best actor nomination for his turn as a socially awkward puzzle-maker who impersonates his missing detective twin brother, in BBC hit Ludwig, with the show also scoring a best comedy nom.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
An evil twin hotspot is a wireless network that impersonates a legitimate one by copying its name, also known as the SSID.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonates
Verb
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Chelsea Handler honors Rob Reiner, mocks DiCaprio's 'Titanic' vacationNeed a news break?—
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There, Callahan mocks him, saying that killing him won't assuage Mike of his guilt.—
Verb
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As Cuenca plays a ball to the feet of his striker, Wilson dashes in the other direction, delaying Ibrahima Konate’s forward jump because the centre-back knows Bradley is unable to track both him and Robinson at the same time.—
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In the dark romantic comedy-drama, True Blood alum Skarsgård, 49, plays tough biker Ray, who enters into a dominant-submissive relationship with Colin (Melling), a shy and directionless man who sings in a barbershop quartet.—
Verb
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Its light imitates an actual sunrise, gradually going from red to bright white.—
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The style imitates that of many social media influencers, who seek to keep their content dynamic.—
Verb
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Mekia Cox, who portrays Nyla Harper, wed basketball analyst Britt Leach in 2018, according to The Knot.—
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Arnett, Cooper, and Mark Chappell cowrote the screenplay, and Cooper portrays Balls, Alex's actor friend who serves as the film's comic relief.—
Verb
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New York storyteller Laura Sims leads workshops and performs stories on Saturday and Sunday during the Atlanta Jewish Storytelling Festival at The Breman.—
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Mindy performs in this scene wearing a pair of Jimmy Choo’s Sacaria platform sandals.—
Verb
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Brewer depicts the world of music impersonators with a fair amount of affection, like the rodeo clowns of late 20th-century America.—
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It's set in 1776 in Philly and depicts Benjamin Franklin and other Founding Fathers signing the Declaration of Independence, with a celebratory toast with milk.—
Verb
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Kira interprets this disengagement not as a lack of curiosity, but as a natural response to information overload.—
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But what if what Melville meant was more akin to how Guo interprets it?—
Cite this Entry
“Impersonates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonates. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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