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
Relevance
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
To understand how federal agents are using various Department of Homeland Security surveillance tools in real time, NPR collected dozens of accounts — through interviews and court documents — describing confrontations with federal immigration officers in recent months.
—
Meg Anderson, NPR, 4 Mar. 2026
And Kim added that he was distracted playing video games at times when Chan was describing the deadly plot to his friends.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 4 Mar. 2026
Physicists at The University of Texas at Austin have experimentally confirmed a decades-old theory describing how magnetism behaves in ultra-thin materials.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
The boy’s 14-year-old brother testified at trial, describing having seen Covington brutally whip the little boy with a belt in the apartment’s primary bedroom.
—Dan Sullivan, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
The restaurant was once filled with neon lights, roller skating wait staff and a DJ booth complete with Elvis Presley impersonator, Vader said, describing eating there as an iconic Boise experience.
—Idaho Statesman, 3 Mar. 2026
Rachel became engrossed in Facebook videos of other moms who were documenting their families’ self-deportation process and describing their relief to be out of the United States.
—Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
In describing the deadly events, the 9th Circuit panel named all the victims and described their final moments.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Many credit Swedish architect Hans Asplund for coining the term when describing Villa Göth, a brick residential building, in 1949.
—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 2 Mar. 2026
Meg Anderson, NPR, 4 Mar. 2026
And Kim added that he was distracted playing video games at times when Chan was describing the deadly plot to his friends.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 4 Mar. 2026
Physicists at The University of Texas at Austin have experimentally confirmed a decades-old theory describing how magnetism behaves in ultra-thin materials.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
The boy’s 14-year-old brother testified at trial, describing having seen Covington brutally whip the little boy with a belt in the apartment’s primary bedroom.
—Dan Sullivan, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
The restaurant was once filled with neon lights, roller skating wait staff and a DJ booth complete with Elvis Presley impersonator, Vader said, describing eating there as an iconic Boise experience.
—Idaho Statesman, 3 Mar. 2026
Rachel became engrossed in Facebook videos of other moms who were documenting their families’ self-deportation process and describing their relief to be out of the United States.
—Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
In describing the deadly events, the 9th Circuit panel named all the victims and described their final moments.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Many credit Swedish architect Hans Asplund for coining the term when describing Villa Göth, a brick residential building, in 1949.
—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describing
Verb
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Most recently, the White Stripes rocker lashed out after Trump posted a since‑deleted video on his official Truth Social account depicting Michelle and Barack Obama as apes.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
28 Feb. 2026
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Radiohead’s objection to ICE using its music follows other pop stars decrying their songs being picked up for viral videos depicting the roundup of immigrants.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Investigation exposes a decade of abuse The investigation into Joachim began after the victim, age 14, came forward after telling her sister-in-law about the abuse, the DA's office said in a news release.—
Briauna Brown,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
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In court Monday, the boy’s oldest brother, now 19, once again spoke, telling the judge he is haunted by guilt.—
Dan Sullivan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The latest research indicates that re-evaluation of the methodology of existing assessments for characterizing sea-level rise impact is needed, the paper noted.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
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Some rank-and-file cops also disagreed with how the mayor is characterizing the incident.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This docudrama uses recordings of her actual voice blended with actors portraying the responders who desperately tried to save this child who was surrounded by the bodies of her relatives.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
28 Feb. 2026
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Her casting, as a white woman portraying an Indigenous person, and the existence of the role itself, later drew scrutiny.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Those are the essential allegations here, McCrindle said after recounting the narrative to Woburn District Court Judge Jane Prince.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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Since December, at least 30 have been repatriated after leaving the conflict, with many recounting harsh battlefield conditions.—
Emmanuel Igunza,
NPR,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the potentially season-defining stretch can’t be at the forefront of their minds now.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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If you’re hooked on Ryan Murphy’s Love Story, a slate of classic and recent series deliver the same 1990s glamour, New York energy and era-defining style.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When exposed to moisture, including indoor humidity, powder detergent clumps and harden, rendering it unusable.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Feb. 2026
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This condensation can freeze and block the flow of fuel, rendering your car incapable of starting.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In relating her story this way, Gisèle is restoring to the record her waking life.—
Gaby Wood,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2026
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Morello himself serves as kind of a guide in the film, relating his own love of metal growing up as a Black kid in a conservative, ethnically homogeneous suburb of Chicago.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Describing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describing. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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