impersonating

verb

present participle of impersonate
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

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 impersonating Some were petty — like Reese committing a foul against Clark, then jerking her head back, impersonating Clark as a flopper. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 June 2026 Willard has been charged with one count each of kidnapping and impersonating a police officer, according to online court records, which do not show plea or attorney information. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026 Boelter also faces state charges of impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty. — Tim Sullivan, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026 Determined to be seen as extraordinary, Elizabeth begins copying, stalking and impersonating Laura to try and win a Harvard spot for herself. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 20 June 2026 Vance Boelter, the Minnesota man accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer and fatally shooting the state’s former House speaker in what authorities have described as a politically motivated assassination, pleaded guilty Thursday. — Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 11 June 2026 Clinton Wayne Nelan, 33, of Elkins, who was arrested Sunday, is charged with misuse of a local emergency telephone system and impersonating a law enforcement officer, according to the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026 The Idaho Attorney General’s Office is warning that scammers are impersonating city planning officials in Boise, Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell, using public permit information to create realistic fake invoices. — Chadd Cripe. Produced With Ai Assistance, Idaho Statesman, 2 July 2026 Jason Hobby was arrested by the Larimer County Sheriff's Office following the July 29, 2024 fire and charged with first-degree arson, along with several other offenses including impersonating a peace officer, menacing and false imprisonment. — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 25 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonating
  1. mocking
  2. playing
  3. imitating
  4. portraying
  5. acting
  6. performing
  7. depicting
  8. interpreting
Verb
  • Second lady Usha Vance mocking The New York Times for reading political significance into her Old Navy maternity dress and the New York Knicks celebrating their NBA title were featured in last week's News Quiz.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • This patriotic anthem of the American Revolution originated as a favorite tune of British soldiers, who enjoyed its lyrics mocking American colonists.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
Definition of mocking
Verb
  • Win prizes playing interactive games, network with artists and entrepreneurs and enjoy signature drinks and bar snacks available for purchase.
    — Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
  • Men leaders can pay attention to and be mindful of who in the workplace may be playing more of an emotional support role that falls outside their job description.
    — Holly Corbett, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of playing
Verb
  • Some of the most notable moments show Atlas imitating human emotional reactions.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 June 2026
  • To celebrate, Gazza lay down on the grass and opened his mouth wide, imitating the dentist’s chair that had got him and his team-mates into so much bother a few weeks earlier.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 18 June 2026
Definition of imitating
Verb
  • Rather than acknowledging the reckless play that earned her suspension, Thomas immediately shifted the focus to herself, portraying her punishment, rather than the hit on Clark, as the real injustice.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
  • Jaafar spoke about portraying the King of Pop, who’s also his uncle, in the film.
    — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026
Definition of portraying
Verb
  • George Clooney will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival, recognizing a career that has spanned acting, directing and producing across film and television.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
  • Streever sent the email in January to Todd Lyons, then the acting director of ICE, after an immigration officer fatally shot Minneapolis resident Renee Good during an anti-ICE demonstration.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 July 2026
Definition of acting
Verb
  • But performing fealty to that naïve and impoverished picture of judging had become nearly de rigueur for both liberals and conservatives.
    — Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
  • Isolation in many American settlements required a self-reliant approach to performing music.
    — Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of performing
Verb
  • The biggest of these controversies erupted in April after the president shared a post depicting himself as Jesus Christ, amid his feud with Pope Leo XIV.
    — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • The masks are often vibrant and colorful but sometimes intimidating, depicting superheroes, animals or other symbolic figures.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of depicting
Verb
  • Is gathering information fundamentally different from interpreting it?
    — Rhoda Feng, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • The Digital Thread Will Become More Intelligent While today’s digital thread connects data, the next phase focuses on interpreting that data.
    — John Clemons, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of interpreting

Browse Nearby Words

impersonates
impersonating
impersonation
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Cite this Entry

“Impersonating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonating. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of impersonating for Spanish Speakers

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