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
Gourd-Mercado describes it as an exploration of the future of storytelling for Palestinian filmmakers — those based in Gaza, those in the diaspora, those born elsewhere but shaped by their identity.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Breakout voice skips the commentary Parnas, who describes himself as an independent reporter, had a breakout year in 2025.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Kimi describes herself as a hippie and a hunter who comes from hippie parents.
—Stella Fong, Outside, 10 Mar. 2026
Mehta describes it as a love story told in Pellissery’s distinctive style.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Best Duvet Insert Senior shopping editor Nashia Baker describes this duvet insert as having the same put-together crispness as her favorite percale sheet sets.
—Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 9 Mar. 2026
Burling describes himself as Jewish but says his religious practice takes place in Messianic congregations.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
About two thirds of the way through the memoir, Merrill describes a visit his mother Helen pays him in Rome.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Living in Her Own Fairy Tale Hilton describes her family life as a fairy tale.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Breakout voice skips the commentary Parnas, who describes himself as an independent reporter, had a breakout year in 2025.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Kimi describes herself as a hippie and a hunter who comes from hippie parents.
—Stella Fong, Outside, 10 Mar. 2026
Mehta describes it as a love story told in Pellissery’s distinctive style.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Best Duvet Insert Senior shopping editor Nashia Baker describes this duvet insert as having the same put-together crispness as her favorite percale sheet sets.
—Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 9 Mar. 2026
Burling describes himself as Jewish but says his religious practice takes place in Messianic congregations.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
About two thirds of the way through the memoir, Merrill describes a visit his mother Helen pays him in Rome.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Living in Her Own Fairy Tale Hilton describes her family life as a fairy tale.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describes
Verb
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The focal point is a mural that Philz commissioned from Bay Area artist Nigel Sussman that depicts San Leandro’s history, agricultural roots and local landmarks, from the famed cherry orchards to a favorite long-ago raceway.—
Linda Zavoral,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
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When Teo depicts the claustrophobic nature of a relationship where the temperature is constantly rising.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Phil Alden Robinson directed Kevin Costner to one of the most beloved performances of his career as an average Iowan who hears a voice that tells him to build a baseball field.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Jokic either fell or flopped — depending on who tells it — over the top of George four minutes into the game when the burgeoning Utah star tried the maneuver.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From the Cold War to the hostage crisis, Matin-Asgari characterizes the countries’ long relationship as a matrix of intrigue and influence.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
6 Mar. 2026
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The tech entrepreneur, who founded a fitness app and a financial management platform catering to young and wealthy customers, also characterizes Khanna’s stock trading as hypocritical since the congressman campaigns on easing inequality.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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So the scientific jury is out on how Hoppers portrays consciousness as transferrable.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
8 Mar. 2026
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The exterior of the Freedom Express portrays 10 key moments in American history from the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the Apollo 11 moon landing.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Its name comes from a Native American legend that recounts a 1760s battle in which members of the Illinois Confederation fled to the top of the park’s now eponymous 125-sandstone bluff for refuge.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026
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Advertisement The Voice of Hind Rajab recounts the story of Hind’s death through the perspective of the dispatchers who tried to save her, using the real audio recordings of Hind’s voice.—
Alexander Durie,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Across all nine episodes, Malone’s soundtrack threads together the romance, friction, and tragedy that defines the story of one of the 1990s’ most talked-about couples.—
Riann Phillip,
Vogue,
9 Mar. 2026
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That foundation becomes the constraint that defines what can be scaled and what cannot.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The apparent corner-cutting illustrates how top brass at Florida’s flagship law school relaxed longstanding safeguards to fast-track the state’s top legal official into its classrooms — even as Republican leaders in Tallahassee demand greater transparency and oversight of university instruction.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
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After receiving permission from the government, Brevard County Public Works removed 10,000 pounds of concrete — a volume that illustrates how deeply trapped the manatee was within the infrastructure.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There’s a lovely little formula called the small-angle approximation that relates the two.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
20 Feb. 2026
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But the story Sorkin relates is really all about the insiders, their privileged lives, their thoughts and actions.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Describes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describes. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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