1
as in depicting
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 telling
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 characterizing
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 describing
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airforwarders Association (AfA) both sent letters to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin describing the far-reaching consequences of such a cutback, including supply chain snafus, diminished cargo capacity and lost revenues.
—
Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 3 June 2026
Crew members believe that blame should be shared equally between producers and financiers, with some describing it as a cautionary tale.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 3 June 2026
In March 1997, during a game against the Golden State Warriors, Halberstam was describing a pass by then-Heat backup point guard and current Heat TV analyst John Crotty, who played at Virginia, the university founded by Thomas Jefferson.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
Mathematicians warned against rising tech industry influence in a declaration describing the many challenges that AI poses to mathematics research.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 2 June 2026
Weiss is a former opinion writer from the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal who left the former publication after describing a place that was too sensitive to critiques made to it via social media.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 June 2026
The controversy quickly escalated after state leaders, civil rights attorneys and Democratic lawmakers condemned the action, describing it as deeply harmful to Floyd’s family and inconsistent with accountability under the law.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 June 2026
The runway presentation featured robots dressed in designer apparel paired with human models, with organizers describing the concept as a physical AI showcase.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
The boy’s mother submitted a statement to court that was read aloud by a victim representative Tuesday, describing continuing effects, including memory and academic struggles, from the concussion her son suffered.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 3 June 2026
Crew members believe that blame should be shared equally between producers and financiers, with some describing it as a cautionary tale.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 3 June 2026
In March 1997, during a game against the Golden State Warriors, Halberstam was describing a pass by then-Heat backup point guard and current Heat TV analyst John Crotty, who played at Virginia, the university founded by Thomas Jefferson.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
Mathematicians warned against rising tech industry influence in a declaration describing the many challenges that AI poses to mathematics research.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 2 June 2026
Weiss is a former opinion writer from the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal who left the former publication after describing a place that was too sensitive to critiques made to it via social media.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 June 2026
The controversy quickly escalated after state leaders, civil rights attorneys and Democratic lawmakers condemned the action, describing it as deeply harmful to Floyd’s family and inconsistent with accountability under the law.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 June 2026
The runway presentation featured robots dressed in designer apparel paired with human models, with organizers describing the concept as a physical AI showcase.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
The boy’s mother submitted a statement to court that was read aloud by a victim representative Tuesday, describing continuing effects, including memory and academic struggles, from the concussion her son suffered.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describing
Verb
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By depicting the specific shade of green in the Café Vida awning to the correct number of spokes in the rose window at the Community United Methodist Church, Dal Bello hoped to bring the places that colored his childhood alive.—
Sam Mulick,
Daily News,
29 May 2026
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Carney is a moralist, a filmmaker of fidelity—and of renunciation, depicting the romantic near-misses and what-ifs that his characters leave behind.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Verb
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In order to secure the funds, the family members submitted fake financial instruments and money orders, continuing to do so even after the IRS sent them letters telling them to stop, according to the statement.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
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Especially telling is the staff’s attention to detail.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Verb
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So much of The Last Supper involved characterizing songs, movies, music videos, paintings, and so on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
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Many in the scientific research community disagree, characterizing the changes as the White House attempting to usurp autonomy from scientists and career civil servants.—
Allison DeAngelis,
STAT,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Pratt has been portraying the city as a lethal hellscape.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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Both of Cook’s pregnancies were written into Criminal Minds, with her sons portraying her children on the series.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Verb
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There is also a handwritten letter from the actress recounting the loss of a recent pregnancy starting at $20,000.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
1 June 2026
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Brookhouser described Metz pulling the gun, aiming it and shooting it several times on scene and later at the hospital before recounting it again two years later for the jury, Johnson said.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
1 June 2026
Verb
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According to Mike, that freedom became one of the collection’s defining characteristics.—
Laura Jackson,
Vogue,
3 June 2026
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An iconic style from the brand hailing from the fall 2016 runway, the Kiki has amassed a legion of celebrity fans who have embraced the silhouette’s defining platform, towering block heel and unique buckle design leaving oval cut outs.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The r on my laptop keyboard, worn to breaking, will soon fall off, rendering that laptop lifeless.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
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Of course, that club won the World Series, rendering Crane’s silence a footnote in a superb season.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Verb
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So, remember, by finding weeds, noting their location, relating them to a condition, and choosing corrective actions based on that condition, gardeners can begin to form maintenance diagnoses for their gardens through weeds.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2026
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The young players seem to like how Harbaugh is teaching and relating, too.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Describing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describing. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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