as in depiction
a vivid representation in words of someone or something
his novel presents a moving portrayal of a woman searching for personal fulfillment and happiness
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Recent Examples of portrayal
But the box score alone isn’t a fair portrayal of what happened in Westwood.
—
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Her portrayals – reflective of real people – will live on in television history for their honesty, wit and charm.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
At least that’s according to interviews here with several Illini and Huskies players, who universally concurred that the media versions of Underwood and Hurley are not really an accurate portrayal of their personalities.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
O’Hara, who won Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series at the Actor Awards for her portrayal of producer Patty Leigh — the mentor to studio head Matt Remick, played by actor and The Studio co-creator Seth Rogen — was initially part of Season 2’s plans prior to her January 2026 death.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portrayal
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Her portrayals – reflective of real people – will live on in television history for their honesty, wit and charm.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
At least that’s according to interviews here with several Illini and Huskies players, who universally concurred that the media versions of Underwood and Hurley are not really an accurate portrayal of their personalities.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
O’Hara, who won Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series at the Actor Awards for her portrayal of producer Patty Leigh — the mentor to studio head Matt Remick, played by actor and The Studio co-creator Seth Rogen — was initially part of Season 2’s plans prior to her January 2026 death.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portrayal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayal
Noun
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The tragicomic look at two lives on hold struck a chord; its depiction of a family bickering and bantering, and of the risks of intimacy, felt specific and true.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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The video is a generally standard depiction of what teen takeovers have been looking like, also happening at Atlantic Station, the Battery, and the Beltline.—
Kaley Fedko,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Police were unable to provide a detailed description of the suspects, but described them as two African American men between 20 and 30 years of age.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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The booster launched Northrop Grumman's previous cargo flight, NG-23, NASA's Crew-11 astronaut flight, the Axiom Space Ax-4 astronaut flight and three Starlink missions, according to a SpaceX description.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Centred on intimate portraits of women rebuilding their lives, the film follows individuals shaping a future in the shadow of a shared past.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2026
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After his death while attempting a wingsuit flight in 2015, his friends began putting together footage that paints a portrait of a complex man.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The cover girl is Ger van Braam, an Indonesian woman who subscribed to The Ladder and sent her picture to the editor in search of kinship.—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Thing is, those other 499 pictures didn’t look like that incredible Erceg shot.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portrayal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayal. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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