as in depictions
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 portrayals
This needs to be balanced with honest portrayals of skilled nursing facilities, which includes how residents live their lives while receiving necessary care.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 17 June 2026
For every blockbuster streaming series about a notorious serial killer, there’s a discussion to be had about whether anyone is benefitting from gruesome TV portrayals that some feel glamorize killers and exploit their victims.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 June 2026
Monuments offered a fitting answer to those still asking what should be done with heroic portrayals of such figures.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 16 June 2026
Ford, meanwhile, was already one of Hollywood’s biggest stars thanks to his portrayals of Han Solo and Indiana Jones.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
The film won three Oscars and has since been widely cited as one of Hollywood’s most influential portrayals of the tech industry.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 10 June 2026
Dean Cain has repeatedly taken issue with modern portrayals of superheroes, from Superman and Supergirl to Captain America.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
The Boroughs is not a frightening show, monster snack-time portrayals notwithstanding.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Many also expressed a desire for portrayals that reflect healthy relationships, rest, softness, sisterhood, and everyday life beyond struggle.
—Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 17 June 2026
For every blockbuster streaming series about a notorious serial killer, there’s a discussion to be had about whether anyone is benefitting from gruesome TV portrayals that some feel glamorize killers and exploit their victims.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 June 2026
Monuments offered a fitting answer to those still asking what should be done with heroic portrayals of such figures.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 16 June 2026
Ford, meanwhile, was already one of Hollywood’s biggest stars thanks to his portrayals of Han Solo and Indiana Jones.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
The film won three Oscars and has since been widely cited as one of Hollywood’s most influential portrayals of the tech industry.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 10 June 2026
Dean Cain has repeatedly taken issue with modern portrayals of superheroes, from Superman and Supergirl to Captain America.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
The Boroughs is not a frightening show, monster snack-time portrayals notwithstanding.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Many also expressed a desire for portrayals that reflect healthy relationships, rest, softness, sisterhood, and everyday life beyond struggle.
—Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayals
Noun
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Deepfakes have been a constant presence in the AI age as large-language models have made generating depictions of actors, singers and other celebrities much more accessible to the public.—
Corbin Bolies,
Variety,
16 June 2026
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Yes, other Hollywood depictions of the future had predicted similar technology over the years, but guess what year Apple overlord Steve Jobs announced the breakthrough videotelephony product known as FaceTime?—
Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Among all the things that make Iliad Bookshop unique is the mural outside, depicting literary scenes and portraits of more than fifty authors and musicians like Charles Dickens, Sylvia Plath, Harper Lee, Pink Floyd and Tom Petty.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
19 June 2026
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Earlier works often centered on solitary women posed with the self-possession of royal portraits or religious icons.—
Jane Horowitz,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Noun
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The proximity and the descriptions of her relationship to Chicago could have been me.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
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Using contextual clues, including witness interview dates and document descriptions, some files could be located elsewhere, but for many that was not possible.—
Daniel Ruetenik,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Area law enforcement officials have previously released pictures of him.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
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But some users find clever ways to sidestep those controls, by disguising sensitive requests as role-playing games, poems or pictures, with many swapping tips and ideas online.—
Kevin Schaul,
Washington Post,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portrayals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayals. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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