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
Overwhelming is indeed the right way to describe sampling some of these vintages, especially for the first time.
—
Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2025
Hays amassed land records and deeds, photos of interiors and exteriors of houses, and called to the stand an electricity expert to describe what low kilowatt usage might suggest about whether someone lives in a house or not.
—Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
That said, don’t assume that the pricing that pops up on Google is going to 100 percent accurately describe an item’s value.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2025
Kathleen Fournier, head of production at Charlotte Street Films and producer of Eugene Jarecki’s Julian Assange documentary The 6 Billion Dollar Man, described a narrowing space for political filmmaking in the streaming era.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2025
Hays amassed land records and deeds, photos of interiors and exteriors of houses, and called to the stand an electricity expert to describe what low kilowatt usage might suggest about whether someone lives in a house or not.
—Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
That said, don’t assume that the pricing that pops up on Google is going to 100 percent accurately describe an item’s value.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2025
Kathleen Fournier, head of production at Charlotte Street Films and producer of Eugene Jarecki’s Julian Assange documentary The 6 Billion Dollar Man, described a narrowing space for political filmmaking in the streaming era.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describe
Verb
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Other Arizonans at the time voiced similar concerns of being depicted as rednecks and hillbillies.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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In cathedral-worthy glory, the work rose six meters, depicting a surreal celestial sky with 12 levitating apples.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Another told Feltner to call a township trustee.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
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Caroline Ervin, landscape designer and owner of The Georgetown Garden Shop, told shrubs that produce berries in the fall are especially valuable during migration season, offering essential nutrition to birds in need of high-fat, energy-rich foods.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The monsoon is characterized by intense heat, surges of moisture and atmospheric instability, creating clouds and storm chances in the afternoon.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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Abarca says complaints overblown Abarca, at the time, welcomed the investigation, characterizing the complaints as overblown.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Fonzi’s second directorial outing tells the gripping story of Julieta, a young woman imprisoned after suffering a miscarriage, and Soledad Deza (portrayed by Fonzi herself), the courageous lawyer who dares to fight for justice in this deeply controversial and high-stakes case.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
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Both women played Effie White, with Holliday portraying the role first on Broadway, earning her a Grammy and Tony.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Petrino, the man responsible for the changes, could relate.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Sep. 2025
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Internet users can’t get enough of Mason’s refusal to engage with the other pups at day care, as many fellow introverts could relate.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Great Recession stands as the generation’s defining economic event.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
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Saudis studying abroad lose the subtleties of the language and miss out on the culture, memes, and everything else that defines this generation.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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New research into Rembrandt van Rijn’s 1642 masterpiece suggests that this barking dog was inspired by the title page of a widely available book on the temptations of the flesh, illustrated by the Dutch artist, poet and publisher Adriaen van de Venne.—
Senay Boztas,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
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One New Kingdom papyrus illustrates a curious case of power being projected along the river through sheer brinkmanship.—
Vanessa Taylor,
Big Think,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In a video podcast, Carter recounted a late-night meal of sushi with the Salvadoran president.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
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One of the standout moments of the interview came when the artist recounted receiving the call from Jay-Z confirming his headlining role.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describe. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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