impersonate
verb
im·per·son·ate
im-ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt 
impersonated; impersonating
: to assume or act the character of : personate
Examples of impersonate in a Sentence
He was arrested for impersonating a police officer.
a comedian with a talent for impersonating famous politicians and actors
Recent Examples on the Web
Rony Hernandez-Morales was taken into custody on charges of identity fraud and impersonating a peace officer.
—
Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
Now, an indictment charges Weng, 49, with wire fraud, mail fraud and impersonating a federal law enforcement officer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2025
This involves pretending funds are at risk and need to be moved to a safe account, with an attacker impersonating a bank representative.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
John haltingly impersonates James, and is immediately pulled into a murder investigation: a top solicitor has been stabbed with an antique letter opener!
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
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Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
Now, an indictment charges Weng, 49, with wire fraud, mail fraud and impersonating a federal law enforcement officer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2025
This involves pretending funds are at risk and need to be moved to a safe account, with an attacker impersonating a bank representative.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
John haltingly impersonates James, and is immediately pulled into a murder investigation: a top solicitor has been stabbed with an antique letter opener!
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
Cite this Entry
“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impersonate. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impersonate
verb
im·per·son·ate
im-ˈpərs-ᵊn-ˌāt
impersonated; impersonating
: to pretend to be some other person
impersonate a police officer
impersonation
noun
-ˌpərs-ᵊn-ˈā-shən
impersonator
noun
-ˈpərs-ᵊn-ˌāt-ər
Legal Definition
impersonate
transitive verb
im·per·son·ate
im-ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt
impersonated; impersonating
: to assume (another's or a fictitious identity) without authority and with fraudulent intent
impersonate a police officer
impersonated a public servant by saying he was from the water department
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