paint/draw a picture of

idiom

: to create an idea or understanding of (something or someone) through words, facts, etc.

The author paints a disturbing picture of life in the camp.

These statistics draw a clear picture of how the population is aging.

Examples of paint/draw a picture of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While the defense is trying to paint a picture of a simple business relationship between Trump and Daniels, the prosecution is focussed on presenting jurors with the image of a sprawling election-interference scheme. —Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 3 May 2024

Authorities paint a picture of a network of associates, some blood relatives, traveling across Europe by bus with library cards sometimes under assumed names to scout rare Russian books, make high-quality copies, then swap them for the originals, case files reviewed by The New York Times reveal. —Rachel Donadio, New York Times, 1 May 2024

These stories of frustration paint a picture of young people’s attitudes toward trying to enter the workforce. —Bysasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024

Video of the ship, emergency radio transmissions and analysis from maritime veterans paint a picture of a disastrous scenario. —Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024

The court filing includes text messages that paint a picture of how FirstEnergy relied on Randazzo to craft legislation that benefited FirstEnergy and fend off an audit or rate case that might have cost the company money. —Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024

And Lazaro says the defense can paint a picture of James Craig as a kind and attentive partner. —Natalie Morales, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2024

The numbers paint a picture of proficiency, which Goff has demonstrated while operating without much interference. —Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press, 25 Jan. 2024

These phrases all paint a picture of someone who is uncool, modestly embarrassing, and blissfully unconcerned with others’ judgments. —Saul Austerlitz, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024