1
as in depicts
to give a representation or account of in words
he tried to describe the dream he had last night as accurately as he could
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tells
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 characterizes
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
how would you describe the Inupiat people you encountered in Alaska?
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of describes
And, at the end of each chapter, the book describes how the evidence on each phenomenon has evolved and strengthened in the years since the original columns.
—
Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
Miller's nomination describes her as having maintained great fortitude and excellent disposition, talent and character.
—Kenya Anderson, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Nov. 2025
Loomer describes her project as a constant purge.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
Wolfhard describes their Atlanta location as a museum.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025
The center describes itself as the first of its kind in California to be founded and led by Black men.
—Eloise Rollins-Fife, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Her behavior, as the brother describes, is in line with symptoms of postpartum depression, many noted.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
The poster describes him as 6-feet tall and weighing 185 pounds.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Of the few that have arrived in what Saraf describes as a small agricultural town, many have reported being beaten and tortured by different militia groups stationed along the treacherous route between El Fasher and Tawila.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
Miller's nomination describes her as having maintained great fortitude and excellent disposition, talent and character.
—Kenya Anderson, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Nov. 2025
Loomer describes her project as a constant purge.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
Wolfhard describes their Atlanta location as a museum.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025
The center describes itself as the first of its kind in California to be founded and led by Black men.
—Eloise Rollins-Fife, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Her behavior, as the brother describes, is in line with symptoms of postpartum depression, many noted.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
The poster describes him as 6-feet tall and weighing 185 pounds.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Of the few that have arrived in what Saraf describes as a small agricultural town, many have reported being beaten and tortured by different militia groups stationed along the treacherous route between El Fasher and Tawila.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describes
Verb
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One image depicts Taipei, home to the island’s government offices and military headquarters.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The second is Nouvelle Vague, which giddily depicts the making of the French New Wave classic Breathless; by the end, the entire cast and crew have been driven up the wall by their mercurial director, Jean-Luc Godard (Guillaume Marbeck).—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Rose tells Shaw that her community is concerned about sacred remains being disturbed.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
-
In this intimate portrait of life during the exhilarating early days of the women’s liberation movement in Scandinavia in the 1970s, Pernille Ipsen tells the stories of the seven women who raised her, who were all part of the women’s movement in Denmark.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The next step was to search for the higher-energy release of energy that stellar physicists believe characterizes the frequent CMEs from young stars.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Protest organizers have trained thousands in de-escalation techniques and have promised the day will be safe, even as political rhetoric characterizes demonstrators as being aligned with terrorist forces.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The more than 4,000-page indictment includes an organization chart that portrays Imamoglu as the founder and head of the criminal group.—
Reuters 17 hr ago,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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In the video, Manilow portrays a character who sacrifices a traditional family life to pursue his dream as a performer.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Thiongʼo novel in verse which recounts the Gikuyu creation story.—
Amber McBride,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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One story of the Desert Fathers recounts a sighting of a demon perched on the top of the monastery, busily scribbling down all the faults of the brothers within.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That care defines Cairo Film Festival’s identity as much as its programming.—
Essie Assibu,
Variety,
11 Nov. 2025
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Shortly after, Rodríguez slipped and fell into a giant snowbank behind the goal, an image that defines Atletico Ottawa’s first CPL championship, with a 2-1 over Calgary’s Cavalry FC.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The work accomplished at Silent Swarm 2025, along with technology such as the TEEMS device, illustrates how the company is architecting the advantage for today’s performance and tomorrow’s success along the tactical edge.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
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In a novel that is so alert to where climate change is leading the world, a narrative frame that illustrates migration as linear and largely redemptive feels anachronistic.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As Stephen Greenblatt relates thrillingly in his new biography, Dark Renaissance, Marlowe led a brief and stormy life that deeply transformed the theater.—
Isaac Butler,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
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The mandate relates just to the Sounders and does not include the Seattle Reign, the NWSL team that the Sounders bought last year in a $58 million deal.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Describes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describes. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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