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?
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of describe
Hazing is described as the act in which a person is forced to consume food or liquid, including alcohol or other substances, which may cause a substantial risk to their health.
—
Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
Nobody could have anticipated that the profound affection Neihardt shared with his wife—later described by biographers as one of the great love stories in American letters—would converge with his work on Black Elk and culminate in one of the most exotic cases in the history of psychical research.
—Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Sadat describes film as a form of therapy.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026
Many people are described as larger than life.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
Nobody could have anticipated that the profound affection Neihardt shared with his wife—later described by biographers as one of the great love stories in American letters—would converge with his work on Black Elk and culminate in one of the most exotic cases in the history of psychical research.
—Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Sadat describes film as a form of therapy.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026
Many people are described as larger than life.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describe
Verb
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In May 2025, Fadich posted a graphic on Instagram depicting a gun pointed directly at Mace’s face.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Unfortunately, at least as depicted in Part 1, Sophie and Benedict’s romance lacks the tantalizing heat and erotic chemistry of the show’s previous central couples.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mostly Mute Monday tells an astronomical story in images, visuals, and no more than 200 words.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Feb. 2026
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Kate later told Mary Berry that William tried to pull out all the stops in the kitchen to impress her early on in their relationship.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The governor has taken the approach to the tabloid that has characterized his treatment of other critics on the right.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
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Unlike other hibernating animals such as bears, groundhogs do not enter a light-sleep state characterized by inactivity.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But while China has portrayed the renminbi as a convenient and safe currency for global trade, experts said that tight controls on moving money in and out of the country will deter investors and financial institutions from relying too heavily on renminbi reserves.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Despite widespread anxiety about the procedure, the experience proves far less traumatic than commonly portrayed, offering hope for reluctant patients.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Reconciliation, by contrast, allowed Republicans to pass fiscal and revenue-related farm provisions with a simple majority, bypassing the filibuster and avoiding a stalemate that could have stretched on for years.—
Stephen Martin,
Oklahoma Watch,
31 Jan. 2026
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Usually episodes are five segments long—one, three, and five are dance/music related, and two and four are food, culture, nature, something interesting that's completely unique to the destination.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Freelancer's dogfighting represented a move away from the joystick revolution that had defined the space in the 90s, instead relying on a simplified flight model where the spacecraft followed the movement of the mouse.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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There’s other things behind it, but this is defining, right?—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi illustrates how constitutional authoritarianism can be fused with majoritarian identity rather than relying solely on executive prerogative.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
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The exchange illustrated Halverson’s point about the dangers of people carrying and shooting guns on college campuses, and also carried the weight of the two men’s experiences handling guns.—
Seth Tupper,
States Newsroom,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Evelyn recounted how the two then attempted to send distress signals on a portable two-way radio.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
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One student recounted the story of a citizen who was bullied because of her ethnicity and later died by suicide.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describe. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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