Definition of personatenext
as in to play
to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior likes to personate the man of the world, but he's still the small-town hick that he always was

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 personate Till’s motifs swept though the ensemble, as horns, clarinets, bassoons, violin all had a chance to personate the character. — By Libby Hanssen, kansascity.com, 3 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for personate
Verb
  • Business travelers love this hotel for its balance of work and play, along with its central location.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Barcelona Lamine Yamal may have been light on the score sheet during the World Cup, but the teenage phenom played his role to perfection during Spain’s tournament-winning run.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • 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
Verb
  • OpenAI denied intentionally imitating Johansson’s voice and later withdrew the feature.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Then-Princess Elizabeth struggled to pronounce her own name as a toddler, and her grandfather, King George V, reportedly imitated her pronunciation.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • On June 18, Reese appeared to mock Clark for trying to draw a foul after the two made contact.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Nike’s experimented with other applications such as mules and tennis shoes, but the results were mocked if not downright disastrous.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The conductors who oversee the recording of the movie scores are portrayed as hyper-demanding corporate perfectionists.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Armour invoked the murder of Emmett Till while connecting the controversy to America’s history of White women portraying Black people as threats.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In that government post paying almost $70,000 a year, Jamal acted as a liaison with the Somali community.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Let Congress know how dire the situation is (or will be, if there’s a failure to act).
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Personate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/personate. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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