impersonate
verb
im·per·son·ate
im-ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt 
impersonated; impersonating
: to assume or act the character of : personate
impersonating a police officer
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
So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong.
—
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026
The government brought forward major reforms and bans on assault-style weapons after the country suffered its worst-ever shooting attack in 2020, when a man impersonating a police officer killed 22 people in northern Nova Scotia.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
After successfully impersonating Sarah Kim as a customer in luxury shops across the city, Mi-jeong hatches a plan to kill Sarah Kim and take her place.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
The group is known for phishing and vishing attacks, where attackers impersonate IT or support staff to trick employees into handing over access.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
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Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026
The government brought forward major reforms and bans on assault-style weapons after the country suffered its worst-ever shooting attack in 2020, when a man impersonating a police officer killed 22 people in northern Nova Scotia.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
After successfully impersonating Sarah Kim as a customer in luxury shops across the city, Mi-jeong hatches a plan to kill Sarah Kim and take her place.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
The group is known for phishing and vishing attacks, where attackers impersonate IT or support staff to trick employees into handing over access.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
Cite this Entry
“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impersonate. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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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