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
Shoppers rave that the arm openings truly stand out, describing them as notably flattering and well-designed, without any awkward gaps.
—
Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 2026
Ahead of the wedding, Ptak got plenty of attention as the official wedding-cake baker from America, with reports describing her childhood in the small Marin County town of Inverness, next door to Point Reyes National Seashore.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Specialists cannot shorten a conversation with someone describing a traumatic experience just to clear the queue.
—Arnold Sotelo, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
On Tuesday, Nature released two papers describing AI systems intended to help scientists develop and test hypotheses.
—ArsTechnica, 19 May 2026
People who knew the security guard have spoken out about his life, describing him as a father of eight and remembering him for his kindness and valor.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Xi nonetheless struck a more conciliatory tone when describing the overall relationship.
—Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Those close to Kate say her perspective has sharpened since her recovery from cancer, with aides describing a new intensity and focus around her early years mission.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
The first answer is that the money world is not an independent reality but simply a convenient shorthand for describing the material world.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 2026
Ahead of the wedding, Ptak got plenty of attention as the official wedding-cake baker from America, with reports describing her childhood in the small Marin County town of Inverness, next door to Point Reyes National Seashore.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Specialists cannot shorten a conversation with someone describing a traumatic experience just to clear the queue.
—Arnold Sotelo, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
On Tuesday, Nature released two papers describing AI systems intended to help scientists develop and test hypotheses.
—ArsTechnica, 19 May 2026
People who knew the security guard have spoken out about his life, describing him as a father of eight and remembering him for his kindness and valor.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Xi nonetheless struck a more conciliatory tone when describing the overall relationship.
—Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Those close to Kate say her perspective has sharpened since her recovery from cancer, with aides describing a new intensity and focus around her early years mission.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
The first answer is that the money world is not an independent reality but simply a convenient shorthand for describing the material world.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describing
Verb
-
Ravelo was the leader and organizer of invitation-only internet groups dedicated to the sharing and discussion of videos depicting monkeys being mutilated and tortured, the DOJ said in a statement.—
Sofia Saric
May 24,
Miami Herald,
24 May 2026
-
One player made a scene on the field, vilified police, downplayed crime, wore a Fidel Castro T-shirt in the locker room, disrespected law enforcement and the military, and wore socks depicting cops as pigs during practice.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
While in the clinic, behind the gee-wizardry of the modern diagnostics and next-generation medications, the practice of endocrinology remains rooted in one person telling their story and the other trying to interpret it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
Her boyfriend, who had cuts to his arms and face, called 911, telling dispatch that someone had dropped a rock from the overpass.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The company temporarily halted the work and offered to repair the road at no cost to the county, characterizing the work as a gift.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Fresh, seasonal produce plays a large part in characterizing the taste of a place, and in Florida’s mild climate much of that flavor can be locally grown.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Fuller, who grew up roughly an hour from Hampton County, framed the project through a similarly personal lens, discussing the responsibility of portraying the region’s culture and social dynamics with specificity and care.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
-
Republicans sought to counter Democrats’ affordability messaging by portraying the tax and fee increases as further fueling the high cost of living.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Vadim begins by recounting his youth as the privileged son of a Soviet-era official who was cast aside under the liberalizing Gorbachev regime; the reversal of fortune roused the young Vadim to make the most of his life.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
The new release consists of 161 files, most of which are PDFs recounting investigative reports and eyewitness testimonials (including from a few Apollo astronauts, who saw some strange things near the moon).—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
For customers and investors this might mean a lot more opportunities to build generation-defining companies without facing fundamental limits to scaling.—
Martin Casado,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
-
Saudi Arabia’s beauty sector is undergoing a transformation that is both commercially significant and culturally defining.—
FMG Studios,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Already, the excess heat in the tank has caused the MMA to harden and clog the failing tank’s valves, rendering it impossible for crews to drain the dangerous chemical or add stabilizing agents, Freeman said.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
-
Officers arrived and began rendering aid to the driver of a black Toyota Corolla, which sustained significant damage in the crash, according to police.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The young players seem to like how Harbaugh is teaching and relating, too.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
Some of them are old systems of knowledge, ways of relating the body to fertility, death, and survival.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Describing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describing. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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