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
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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
By Libby Hanssen, kansascity.com, 3 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for personate
Verb
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Players who for years were starved for the chance to play meaningful games on behalf of their country now would be able to face-off for international bragging rights.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC News,
21 Feb. 2025
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Vaccination rates might also be playing a role, Brull said.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Authorities in New York City are searching for a man who allegedly impersonated a federal immigration enforcement agent before trying to rape a 51-year-old woman in broad daylight, according to police sources.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
12 Feb. 2025
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One of those bills also would crack down on people who impersonate first responders during a wildfire.—
Anabel Sosa,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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For example, a light lavender lining peeks out from underneath the tool of the Rapunzel dress, which can be paired with a long, dramatic boa to imitate her lustrous mane.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
11 Feb. 2025
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Between the lines: The BRT experience aims to imitate the experience of a subway or train.—
Andrew King,
Axios,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Cuba’s foreign minister mocked NED on social media.—
Peter Roskam,
National Review,
26 Feb. 2025
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Musk also mocked people who criticized the order on X, noting that workers could respond by asking an AI chatbot — such as Grok, owned by X — to create a list of accomplished tasks.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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We haven't been totally shut out, but we haven't been portrayed in this particular way.—
Jay Stahl,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2025
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As described in the press notes, sight is portrayed through silhouettes from majestic to micro proportions; oversized profiles to mini landscapes with petite detailing.—
Laia Farran Graves,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Comments by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) have been scrutinized by acting D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin as part of an initiative to prosecute threats against public officials.—
Andrew Solender,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
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But no, Mayor Gloria, who has shown about zero ability to act as city manager, decided to waste the $4.5 million.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Personate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/personate. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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