PORTRAY Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

portray

verb

pȯr-ˈtrā

Definition of portray

as in to describe

to give a representation or account of in words the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to characterize

to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group traditionally, European authors portrayed the natives as wise and noble

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to depict

to present a picture of a landscape that portrays the scenery near the town where the painter grew up

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to play

to present a portrayal or performance of gained fame portraying Susan B. Anthony in a one-woman show

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 portray Ethan has even suggested his son could portray him in a hypothetical biopic. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2026 Alderton, though, chose to portray their union as one that’s essentially happy. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026 Other British Iron Age leaders also produced coins, but those portray clearly male fighters. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Nov. 2026 There is a familiar eagerness in Dan, the aspiring actor Gisondo portrays, but the similarities largely end there. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for portray

Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray

Verb

Woodward described the initiative as part of the DOJ’s broader public safety mission.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
Advertisement Article continues below this ad The report describes what sellers are asking for homes currently listed, not the prices that buyers are ultimately paying at close.

— Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of describe

Verb

His four years in Denver were characterized by first-round losses and a cumulative 3-16 playoff record.

— Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2026
Paoletta said the Democratic congressman was wrongly characterizing the scope of the original, century-old construction plan, citing correspondence from long-ago officials.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of characterize

Verb

Some disease models depict amyloid accumulation as downstream of failures in the cellular machinery that processes and recycles proteins.

— Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
The small-boat crossings have been depicted as a crisis by politicians including Nigel Farage of the hard-right party Reform UK, and have been used as a rallying point by anti-immigration activists.

— Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of depict

Verb

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound Purdue transfer, cleared by the courts to play courtesy of a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit against the NCAA, came off the bench to score nine points on 4-of-5 shooting.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026
That forced Edmonds and former Horned Frog David Punch (now at Texas) to play lengthy minutes and have to worry about foul trouble.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of play

Verb

For Black Friday, iGarden is reducing its price from US$1,299 to US$699, representing a saving of US$600, while also including a selection of complimentary accessories and other promotional benefits.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
This represents an approximately 80% reduction compared with conventional autoregressive decoding.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of represent

Verb

Trump has often pointed over the past months to historical data showing that the party holding total control of Washington tends to perform poorly in midterm elections.

— Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026
The auditor may perform audits or reviews of any of the Clay County offices or departments.

— The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of perform

Verb

Tests used to make medical decisions should be accurate, reliable, and interpreted appropriately.

— Dr. Shravani Durbhakula, Time, 1 Nov. 2026
The interface includes dark mode, while advanced data analysis and database tools help organize and interpret business information.

— StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of interpret

Browse Nearby Words

portraitures

portray

portrayal

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of portray

verb

Example Sentences

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