1
as in to depict
to give a representation or account of in words
he tried to describe the dream he had last night as accurately as he could
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to tell
to give an oral or written account of in some detail
a biography of Washington that describes the decisive Battle of Yorktown at great length
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to characterize
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
how would you describe the Inupiat people you encountered in Alaska?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of describe
Wife describes troubled life of victim The dead man, Jorge Gonzalez, 37, immigrated to the United States from Mexico about 20 years ago, his wife, Teresa, told the New York Daily News.
—
John Bacon, USA Today, 1 May 2025
Those amendments — described by Sen. Faith Winter as the hearing began around 3:15 p.m. — will come at the end of what is set to be a long day in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 1 May 2025
Living history interpreters will interact with the public, describing the events of the time and the life of soldiers on campaign during the early 1800s.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2025
The problem described in the lawsuit is that even for domestic travel, if a driver's license and passport identify a person by different sexes, Transportation Security Administration officials accuse the person of holding a fraudulent document.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
John Bacon, USA Today, 1 May 2025
Those amendments — described by Sen. Faith Winter as the hearing began around 3:15 p.m. — will come at the end of what is set to be a long day in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 1 May 2025
Living history interpreters will interact with the public, describing the events of the time and the life of soldiers on campaign during the early 1800s.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2025
The problem described in the lawsuit is that even for domestic travel, if a driver's license and passport identify a person by different sexes, Transportation Security Administration officials accuse the person of holding a fraudulent document.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describe
Verb
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Both have been about quote, unquote, love, even though neither show is depicting true love.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
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The ways that sound, emanating from speakers or depicted on album covers, was interpolated with the visual was indeed one of the exhibition’s most entrancing aspects and radical critical interventions.—
Ivy G. Wilson,
Artforum,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Market sources tell us the film’s budget is being pegged north of $150M. The film stars Jesse Plemons, Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, and McKenna Grace.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
2 May 2025
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The unlikely hit comedy, which tells a deranged alternative history of Mary Todd Lincoln, has attracted high-profile celebrity audience members including Dua Lipa, Jennifer Lopez, Meryl Streep, and Steven Spielberg.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
Verb
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Dystonia is an umbrella term for movement disorders characterized by sustained or repetitive muscle contractions that cause abnormal postures or movements.—
Indu Subramanian,
The Conversation,
1 May 2025
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Forbes reports that a significant 69% of the youngest generation perceive middle management as a role characterized by high-stress levels and minimal rewards.—
Chris Westfall,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Negotiation progress After his inauguration on Jan. 20, Trump quickly signaled that the Biden administration’s position of portraying the conflict as an essential moral crusade was over.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
3 May 2025
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Keffer’s website portrays it as a small business that began in the family basement in 1996 and now operates out of a modest building near Grove City, Pa.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Verb
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Jennifer Ouellette Senior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2025
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Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Sadly, today’s political revolt is divorced from the cultural and artistic values that define and empower humanity.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
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Returning to the wuxia genre that has defined much of his illustrious career, Tsui explains his approach to this latest adaptation of the classic martial arts tale.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
8 May 2025
Verb
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The Gulf’s swelling economic and diplomatic clout has corresponded with interests replacing ideology as the chief driver of foreign policy, as illustrated by the remarkable (though ultimately aborted) negotiations toward the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
9 May 2025
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When Preparation Meets Opportunity To illustrate what success looks like, Kurtz pointed to Adam Zoller, CISO of CrowdStrike, who now sits on the board of AdventHealth.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Verb
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The former co-chair of the Gates Foundation recounts pivotal moments in her life. 7.—
The California Independent Booksellers Alliance,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2025
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In a video posted to TikTok earlier this week, Hailey recounted what happened next.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describe. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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