describes

verb

present tense third-person singular of describe
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

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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

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 The term describes people whose reaction to not knowing is far more intense than the situation warrants. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 The popular term generally describes a softer physique with extra weight around the midsection. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Now, it's grown into a marching band, youth choir and a drumline for college students, which Groover describes as the pathway to phenomenal Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). — Courtney Cole, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Tesla describes it as the world's first flying car and expects production to begin in 2028. — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 The listing describes 7,026 square feet of space, including the restaurant and covered outdoor areas. — Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 The psychedelic blurring of genre boundaries plays off the titular concept, which, says Grian Chatten in press materials, describes the environment of the album itself. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 16 Oct. 2026 Chronicling the hyper-niche behaviors that define our online existence, Berlant describes the seemingly inescapable embarrassment of wasting one’s life away in an endless scroll. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 The researchers also focused on reducing the robot’s effective inertia, a property that describes how strongly an object resists changes in its motion. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describes
  1. depicts
  2. tells
  3. characterizes
  4. portrays
  5. recounts
  6. defines
  7. illustrates
  8. relates
Verb
  • The bronze ring depicts the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, officials said.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • This nearly 10-foot-high work depicts Mount Tai, one of China’s Five Great Mountains, and leads the viewer’s eye along the pilgrimage routes to the mountain’s summit.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of depicts
Verb
  • Based on Aira Bonfim’s in-depth research, the short film tells the story of Dona Carlota Rezende, the coach of the pioneering female football team Primavera Atlético Clube, in the 1940s.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Tasca tells Robb Report that the original developmental vines were obtained through a nursery that sold them only for trial purposes, but then the experiment became part of a larger initiative.
    — Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of tells
Verb
  • Yet recent rhetoric from City Hall characterizes CARE as a success.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • While the same anthropologists also emphasize that some hunter-gatherers are very unequal and that equality takes deliberate effort, the prevailing impression is that equality characterizes hunter-gatherers, past and present.
    — Christopher von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of characterizes
Verb
  • In the 1925 novel, the appearance of fledglings symbolizes freedom, confinement and even spiritual rebirth, themes that follow lead characters Clarissa and Sally (whom Edebiri portrays) as the story unfolds.
    — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • In the film, Long portrays Katherine Jackson, matriarch of the Jackson family, alongside Oscar nominee Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson and Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, as the king of pop.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of portrays
Verb
  • Look at how, in Dance Party, Clint Smith recounts his speaker’s dance movement experience with his kiddos.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In it, Viard recounts how she was told over lunch with Alain Wertheimer, global executive chairman of Chanel, that she was being let go.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of recounts
Verb
  • As the footprint expands across major creative capitals, both founders remain adamantly protective of the core intimacy that defines their mission.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Public signals guide questions, internal evidence tests assumptions, and a road map defines what execution requires.
    — James Fratzke, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of defines
Verb
  • That kind of attachment illustrates something about modern business.
    — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Its flight heritage illustrates the importance of dependable computing hardware in missions where repairs are difficult or impossible.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of illustrates
Verb
  • Most of the funding gap relates specifically to weapons purchases, Zelensky said, and future financing for Ukraine could come in the form of deals for sharing technology and joint drone production.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • And then Mowbray relates some personal evidence of what has not changed — Middlesbrough’s attachment to football.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of relates

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Cite this Entry

“Describes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describes. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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