1
as in to describe
to give a representation or account of in words
the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to characterize
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
traditionally, European authors portrayed the natives as wise and noble
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3
as in to depict
to present a picture of
a landscape that portrays the scenery near the town where the painter grew up
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4
as in to play
to present a portrayal or performance of
gained fame portraying Susan B. Anthony in a one-woman show
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portray
Madsen was Tarantino's first choice to play Vincent Vega in his sophomore feature, Pulp Fiction — but the actor had already committed to portraying Kevin Costner's brother in Wyatt Earp, so the role instead went to John Travolta.
—
Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 3 July 2025
Aldean received online backlash for the song and music video, which were perceived as portraying a pro-gun violence stance and lynching sentiments.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Even the two feline actors that portray Agnes’s cat Olga are well cast.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 2 July 2025
Oh Ae-sun (played by K-pop superstar IU, who also portrays Ae-sun’s daughter Geum-myeong) is a poor but ambitious girl who grows up on South Korea’s Jeju Island in the 1950s and 1960s.
—Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for portray
Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 3 July 2025
Aldean received online backlash for the song and music video, which were perceived as portraying a pro-gun violence stance and lynching sentiments.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Even the two feline actors that portray Agnes’s cat Olga are well cast.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 2 July 2025
Oh Ae-sun (played by K-pop superstar IU, who also portrays Ae-sun’s daughter Geum-myeong) is a poor but ambitious girl who grows up on South Korea’s Jeju Island in the 1950s and 1960s.
—Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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These are some of the ways people have described their experience.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
-
Among the students, what might broadly be described as concern over political correctness simply did not exist.—
Brooke Allen,
New Yorker,
12 July 2025
Verb
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In addition to the sheer fun some women have with dousing their significant others with a garden hose, the trend has been characterized by countless disagreements in the comments section over what kind of treatment makes for a good relationship.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
11 July 2025
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Block heels, on the other hand, are characterized by their wider, solid and often square shape.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Instead, the model ended up depicting World War II Nazis as Black.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
11 July 2025
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All that being said, Angel Reese or any Black man or woman should never be called or depicted as a Monkey.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Willits played baseball at Fort Cobb-Broxton High School in Oklahoma.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
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Rookie Christian Moore has only played in 18 games, but has shown some flashes of brilliance, including a game-tying and then a game-winning home run against the Red Sox late last month.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Four key areas distinguish disruptive leaders; each represents an opportunity for finance leaders to help drive growth and success in their organizations during disruptive times.—
Jim DeLoach,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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His father was also a former talent agent who represented George Clooney and Dolly Parton, among other A-list stars.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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The military branch is slated to perform its first-ever refueling of a U.S. military asset in orbit as early as next summer.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
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Someone performs well, takes on more, delivers again.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
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The move was widely interpreted as a subtle yet clear acknowledgment of her identity as the woman referenced in the song.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
7 July 2025
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As the amount of global data continues to grow, the challenge lies in processing that data to create maps that not only convey information but also enable machines to interpret and react to it autonomously.—
Michael Harrell,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
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In complex or regulated environments, speed matters, but so does cross-functional orchestration that accounts for the nuances of the situation.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
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The agency was in great peril, as there was no one in headquarters who could push back on harmful things being done to NASA or get things done.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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