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
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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?
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of describes
Lopez describes her daughter as an energetic, talkative child who speaks both English and Spanish.
—
Leondra Head, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Among the more moving cases that Blair describes are those of people who in life were vulnerable and powerless but in death were considered formidable threats.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
Lenovo describes it as the world’s first rollable gaming laptop.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Jan. 2026
Cowdin describes more subtle—but no less damaging—dismissals.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 6 Jan. 2026
The Institute of Museum and Library Services describes museums and libraries as community catalysts that support social well-being through cultural engagement, shared identity and social connection.
—Devon Akmon, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Shooter describes witness encounter Neves Valente mentioned his confrontation with the witness at Brown University that ultimately led to his identification days later.
—Leah Willingham, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
And, at the end of each chapter, the book describes how the evidence on each phenomenon has evolved and strengthened in the years since the original columns.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
Miller's nomination describes her as having maintained great fortitude and excellent disposition, talent and character.
—Kenya Anderson, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Nov. 2025
Leondra Head, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Among the more moving cases that Blair describes are those of people who in life were vulnerable and powerless but in death were considered formidable threats.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
Lenovo describes it as the world’s first rollable gaming laptop.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Jan. 2026
Cowdin describes more subtle—but no less damaging—dismissals.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 6 Jan. 2026
The Institute of Museum and Library Services describes museums and libraries as community catalysts that support social well-being through cultural engagement, shared identity and social connection.
—Devon Akmon, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Shooter describes witness encounter Neves Valente mentioned his confrontation with the witness at Brown University that ultimately led to his identification days later.
—Leah Willingham, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
And, at the end of each chapter, the book describes how the evidence on each phenomenon has evolved and strengthened in the years since the original columns.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
Miller's nomination describes her as having maintained great fortitude and excellent disposition, talent and character.
—Kenya Anderson, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describes
Verb
-
Brewer depicts the world of music impersonators with a fair amount of affection, like the rodeo clowns of late 20th-century America.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
-
It's set in 1776 in Philly and depicts Benjamin Franklin and other Founding Fathers signing the Declaration of Independence, with a celebratory toast with milk.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Rose tells Shaw that her community is concerned about sacred remains being disturbed.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
-
In this intimate portrait of life during the exhilarating early days of the women’s liberation movement in Scandinavia in the 1970s, Pernille Ipsen tells the stories of the seven women who raised her, who were all part of the women’s movement in Denmark.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Coach has never been one to miss an opportunity for self-aggrandizement, and this quote effectively characterizes his three previous Survivor appearances not as failures but as bold attempts to tame a raging sea.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2025
-
The complaint characterizes the allegations as minor, noting that similar conduct is common at athletic events and other campus activities without disciplinary consequences.—
David Hudnall,
Kansas City Star,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Mekia Cox, who portrays Nyla Harper, wed basketball analyst Britt Leach in 2018, according to The Knot.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Arnett, Cooper, and Mark Chappell cowrote the screenplay, and Cooper portrays Balls, Alex's actor friend who serves as the film's comic relief.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Thiongʼo novel in verse which recounts the Gikuyu creation story.—
Amber McBride,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
One story of the Desert Fathers recounts a sighting of a demon perched on the top of the monastery, busily scribbling down all the faults of the brothers within.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This expanding screen defines the Legion Pro Rollable concept.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Locals cherish the balance between welcoming visitors and preserving the serenity that defines their hometowns.—
Amplified Content Studio,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The work accomplished at Silent Swarm 2025, along with technology such as the TEEMS device, illustrates how the company is architecting the advantage for today’s performance and tomorrow’s success along the tactical edge.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
-
In a novel that is so alert to where climate change is leading the world, a narrative frame that illustrates migration as linear and largely redemptive feels anachronistic.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, the omniscient, just-the-facts-ma’am narration relates the days and times and events with an efficiency that speaks to us of the unstoppable nature of fate.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
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The Fund has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates.—
Muyao Shen,
Bloomberg,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Describes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describes. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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