as in depiction
a vivid representation in words of someone or something
his novel presents a moving portrayal of a woman searching for personal fulfillment and happiness
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Recent Examples of portrayal
On Friday, news broke of the passing of actor Anthony Head at 72, best known for his portrayal of Watcher/father figure Rupert Giles on the supernatural drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
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ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026
None of these remotely apply to Capaldi’s relatable portrayal.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
The scene was genuinely awful to watch, but the movie—a story of plague, passion, period costumes, and an unwashed man in a tunic skipping town to cure writer’s block—ended up thrilling us; the portrayal of two creative minds working together (and apart) was, oddly, familiar.
—Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
The 28-year-old actress' portrayal of Cassie focused largely on the character's launch of her OnlyFans account in order to pay for an extravagant wedding and other debts accumulated throughout the intense third season.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for portrayal
ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026
None of these remotely apply to Capaldi’s relatable portrayal.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
The scene was genuinely awful to watch, but the movie—a story of plague, passion, period costumes, and an unwashed man in a tunic skipping town to cure writer’s block—ended up thrilling us; the portrayal of two creative minds working together (and apart) was, oddly, familiar.
—Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
The 28-year-old actress' portrayal of Cassie focused largely on the character's launch of her OnlyFans account in order to pay for an extravagant wedding and other debts accumulated throughout the intense third season.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for portrayal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayal
Noun
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Still, marketing the industry to young people can be difficult, as outdated imagery of factory workers and assembly lines still dominate popular depictions of the field.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
8 June 2026
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According to Jarvis, those long hours are one of the show's more realistic depictions of ranch life, particularly during the summer months when daylight stretches well into the evening.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Noun
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As of late Saturday night, authorities have not released descriptions of any suspects or identified a possible motive.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
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What locals now call vino eroico, heroic wine, feels like both a description and a quiet act of defiance.—
Valentina Di Donato,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
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If there was a pop culture gallery of villainy, the portrait of Regina George would occupy a prominent place.—
David L. Coddon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Five rare portraits of Marilyn Monroe from 1949, captured before her name change and signature platinum look, are being auctioned to mark her centennial.—
Katie Simons,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Some of those same fans were present Monday evening, watching the national team through gaps in the outer fence around Rock Chalk Park or holding their phones above the fence to take pictures and video.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
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To get a full picture of the effect of this recent increase in wildfire frequency and intensity, a team of researchers fed surface ozone levels and premature death data into a deep-learning model.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portrayal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayal. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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