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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of describes
Lynette Hooker's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, describes her mother as an experienced swimmer who has been sailing for more than 10 years.
—
Cristian Benavides, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Raiff describes Ryan Coogler as his filmmaking idol and calls Coogler’s debut Fruitvale Station his favorite movie — but seeing the success of Sinners, a relatively commercial enterprise that won Coogler his first Oscar, opened his eyes in a new way.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
The district describes its offer as 13% over three years.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The Clausius-Clapeyron equation, which was introduced almost two centuries ago, describes the relationship between air temperature and atmospheric pressure.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The Navy describes the Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System as a 49-foot tethered, fly-away rescue vehicle that can be rapidly deployed around the world within 96 hours to carry out open-hatch rescues.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2026
Almost none of it describes a policy.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Belza describes himself as a fourth-generation resident of Northern California on his website.
—Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026
The gap Taylor describes — too much income for public assistance, too little to cover housing comfortably — is not unique to teachers or even KCPS staff.
—Thomas White, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Cristian Benavides, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Raiff describes Ryan Coogler as his filmmaking idol and calls Coogler’s debut Fruitvale Station his favorite movie — but seeing the success of Sinners, a relatively commercial enterprise that won Coogler his first Oscar, opened his eyes in a new way.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
The district describes its offer as 13% over three years.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The Clausius-Clapeyron equation, which was introduced almost two centuries ago, describes the relationship between air temperature and atmospheric pressure.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The Navy describes the Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System as a 49-foot tethered, fly-away rescue vehicle that can be rapidly deployed around the world within 96 hours to carry out open-hatch rescues.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2026
Almost none of it describes a policy.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Belza describes himself as a fourth-generation resident of Northern California on his website.
—Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026
The gap Taylor describes — too much income for public assistance, too little to cover housing comfortably — is not unique to teachers or even KCPS staff.
—Thomas White, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describes
Verb
-
Nude Descending a Staircase ostensibly depicts a figure walking down a flight of stairs, as its title suggests, but the mannequin-like person is abstracted beyond recognition.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The new series, created by Bruce Miller and adapted from Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, depicts Gilead from a different vantage.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The poem tells the story of the seduction of a sixteen-year-old girl by the watermonster, a mythical figure, weaving together themes of place, identity, trauma, and transformation.—
Patrick Dundon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, carbs—the body’s primary energy source—increase your blood sugar, or blood glucose, and, in turn, trigger the pancreas to secrete insulin (a hormone that tells the body’s cells to absorb glucose to prevent an overload).—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the decision also characterizes the law as viewpoint discrimination (specifically here the desire to change someone’s LGBTQ+ identity), which is almost never allowed under the First Amendment.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Other weirdness characterizes the city’s plan beginning with the decision to put a tourism agency, Choose Chicago, in charge.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the Tim Burton–directed gothic fantasy-romance the actor quite literally portrays a humanoid with scissor blades for hands.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Lewis portrays Curator as a frustrated employee pushing against institutional norms and stagnation, balancing exasperation and displaying a knack for physical comedy.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The first volume recounts Akbar’s ancestors’ history, particularly the lineage from the Turkic conqueror Timur to Babur.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The essay recounts his time in Hungary, presumably as a fellow with the Danube Institute, and attributes the weight loss to the country’s approach to food regulation.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Australian law defines war crime murder as the intentional killing in a context of armed conflict of a person who is not taking an active part in the hostilities, such as a civilian, prisoner of war or a wounded soldier.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The bill defines vehicular homicide more clearly and expands the crime of criminally negligent homicide, a felony, to include vehicular homicide.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Through a blend of archival recordings and contemporary interviews, the series illustrates how the church became a sanctuary for its community, honoring both their faith and queerness while fostering joy and connection during a time of profound grief.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The film illustrates how her powerful images not only document the human cost of conflict but also drive social change, emphasizing the ethical responsibilities of journalism and highlighting the universal struggle between ambition and familial obligations.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Considered narrowly, statesmanship relates primarily to politics and government.—
John T. Shaw,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Antinous is the principal mortal antagonist in Homer’s Odyssey, which relates Odysseus’s difficulties while getting home and how Penelope and her son, Telemachus, struggled to maintain their authority on Ithaca.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Describes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describes. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
