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
Relevance
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
His lawyer Jonathan Latimer described him as a man whose life was shaped by severe, untreated mental illness since his early 20s, and said the mental health treatment system failed him.
—
Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025
All four victims had been stabbed multiple times by what authorities described as a large knife, likely a Ka-Bar.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025
Olsen describes her own workdays, raising four children while dreaming of writing, and watching that dream die.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
The album name had been rattling around her brain for months, born out of years of experiences trying to find the right combination of words to describe her sound to other people, particularly the American media.
—Cat Cardenas, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025
All four victims had been stabbed multiple times by what authorities described as a large knife, likely a Ka-Bar.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025
Olsen describes her own workdays, raising four children while dreaming of writing, and watching that dream die.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
The album name had been rattling around her brain for months, born out of years of experiences trying to find the right combination of words to describe her sound to other people, particularly the American media.
—Cat Cardenas, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describe
Verb
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The industry has come so far from what’s depicted in the show.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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Like at the Ssangyong factory, Gi-hun and his co-workers went on strike, which resulted in a violent clash with the police — a scene briefly depicted in episode 5 of Squid Game's first season.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
29 June 2025
Verb
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The percentage tells the public how much of the fire perimeter is believed to not go beyond the control lines.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 2025
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Roley's grandfather, Dale Roley, told the New York Times on Monday that the suspect was working for a tree company and had expressed interest in becoming a forest firefighter.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Newspapers have characterized the issues as a clash of personalities between the editor and presenter Naga Munchetty, who has herself been accused of making colleagues uncomfortable.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
1 July 2025
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The caliber is also characterized by a vertical clutch and column wheel mechanism with chronograph minutes displayed by a central hand that jumps forward every 60 seconds.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Oh Ae-sun (played by K-pop superstar IU, who also portrays Ae-sun’s daughter Geum-myeong) is a poor but ambitious girl who grows up on South Korea’s Jeju Island in the 1950s and 1960s.—
Regina Kim,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
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The feds’ case portrayed the mogul as a ruthless and micromanaging boss who, during the two decades before his September 2024 arrest, abused his larger-than-life status in the industry to control his employees and lovers alike through violence and intimidation.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
24 June 2025
Verb
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In February 2024, the EU adopted the Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, legislation that specifically targeted green and climate related claims.—
Jon McGowan,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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Both Singhs, who are not related, were arrested Friday, prosecutors announced.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Paul Guerlain, the grandson of Jean-Paul Guerlain, although not affiliated with the Guerlain brand, represents the next generation committed to upholding the values that have defined the maison for centuries.—
Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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As international attention turns away from missile strikes and toward diplomacy following the recent ceasefire between Iran and Israel, a deeper, longer-term struggle is quietly taking shape inside the Islamic Republic — one that will define the country’s political future.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Anyway, this serves to illustrate how, at the helm, Murati had to address Musk’s input.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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Brooks illustrates this principle by pointing to hospital delivery robots designed to transport dirty dishes and linens.—
Gabriel Snyder,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Some recounted seeing a man knocked unconscious, a flight attendant who suffered an injury to their arm and another burned by hot water that spilled from the drink cart.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
24 June 2025
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Welsh recounted how a hedge fund had profited in 2019 by buying insurers’ subrogation claims against PG&E after its transmission line was found to have started the 2018 Camp fire that killed 85 people and destroyed much of the town of Paradise.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describe. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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