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
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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?
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of describe
Most public attention on tax policy focuses on income tax rates, but Riessen describes what expanded depreciation benefits meant for her business.
—
Carrie Lukas, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
One survivor, Ephraim Reichenberg, who appears in the doc describes how he and his brother were subjected to injections in the neck.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 6 June 2025
Marcos Lopez, sheriff of Osceola County, Fla., was jailed in nearby Lake County on suspicion of racketeering and conspiracy as part of what state authorities described as a probe into an expansive gambling operation.
—Arkansas Online, 6 June 2025
And he was forever struck by the example of Peter’s family encouraging and challenging him — an approach that enabled Peter to work and ski and fish and live what Reid described as a normal life.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Carrie Lukas, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
One survivor, Ephraim Reichenberg, who appears in the doc describes how he and his brother were subjected to injections in the neck.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 6 June 2025
Marcos Lopez, sheriff of Osceola County, Fla., was jailed in nearby Lake County on suspicion of racketeering and conspiracy as part of what state authorities described as a probe into an expansive gambling operation.
—Arkansas Online, 6 June 2025
And he was forever struck by the example of Peter’s family encouraging and challenging him — an approach that enabled Peter to work and ski and fish and live what Reid described as a normal life.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describe
Verb
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Administration officials have also depicted Abrego Garcia, a sheet metal apprentice, as a violent criminal, accusing him—without proof—of being affiliated with MS-13.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
7 June 2025
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Or the controversy over the stereotypically demeaning roles Black actors depicted.—
Paula L. Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Witnesses later told authorities that Corinne left between 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. and that a man walked out behind her.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
7 June 2025
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However, the Navy, which also celebrates its 250th anniversary in October, has no plans for a similar parade, a spokesperson told USA TODAY, neither does the Marine Corps for its 250th in November.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Following deep sleep, REM sleep is the next critical phase of sleep cycles, characterized by more dreaming that’s also extra vivid and lifelike, and by faster heart rate and breathing.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
8 June 2025
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Kirn characterized the foreword as a kind of ideological overreach.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Verb
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There had been speculative casting information about a new Season 3 series regular role of a sea captain in his 20s that could be who Richardson will portray.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
12 June 2025
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Call Me Izzy, written by Jamie Wax, opens June 12, and sees Smart portray the title character, a woman who lives in rural Louisiana and yearns to write, but is held back by her husband.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Although Jaylin and Jalen Williams are not related, Jalen does have a brother in the NBA.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
5 June 2025
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Investigators suspected the two killings were related but ran out of leads and the cases went cold.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
Verb
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His music is also a way for parents to connect with the club vibe that, for many, defined their pre-child years.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
13 June 2025
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The program defined orphans as children who had lost one or both parents to AIDS, and the children did not necessarily have HIV themselves.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
13 June 2025
Verb
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However, as one family’s experience illustrates, the story of the Great Wealth Transfer is far more complex.—
Joseph Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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To illustrate the scale of this complexity, Lin explains that there can be seemingly endless ticket combinations for trips between Los Angeles and London.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
1 June 2025
Verb
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The sole survivor of Air India plane crash recounts his escape Viswashkumar Ramesh was on his way home to London when tragedy struck.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
13 June 2025
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The judge also said the remaining jurors did not describe anything like the discord and threats recounted by the foreman.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describe. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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