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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 portrayals
If it is now widely accepted that truthful portrayals of war are both technically and morally impossible, what are artists still obligated to picture in this moment when war is proliferating across the globe?
—
Hanlu Zhang, Artforum, 10 Mar. 2026
She is best known for her portrayals of Glinda in Wicked (Broadway and National Tour), Sherrie in Rock of Ages (Broadway and Las Vegas), Rose in Titanique (Off-Broadway), and Lauren in the closing cast of the Tony Award winner for Best Musical Kinky Boots on Broadway.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2026
The characters’ propensity for ugly faces, silliness and a bit of grossness too, stems from the portrayals of girlhood and young womanhood that appeal to them.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Even though a minority of people with Tourette syndrome experience coprolalia, media portrayals of Tourette’s disproportionately focus on outbursts of profanity.
—Rena Zito, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
The television portrayals couldn't be more different.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
But people focusing on these kinds of inhuman portrayals might consider what Safdie and Tierney are doing differently.
—David Colman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
Dane starred in the HBO drama, delivering one of the most menacing portrayals as the father of Nate Jacobs (played by Jacob Elordi).
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
On His Own Terms Playing one of fiction’s most iconic characters could feel daunting, especially with so many legendary portrayals already in the cultural consciousness.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Hanlu Zhang, Artforum, 10 Mar. 2026
She is best known for her portrayals of Glinda in Wicked (Broadway and National Tour), Sherrie in Rock of Ages (Broadway and Las Vegas), Rose in Titanique (Off-Broadway), and Lauren in the closing cast of the Tony Award winner for Best Musical Kinky Boots on Broadway.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2026
The characters’ propensity for ugly faces, silliness and a bit of grossness too, stems from the portrayals of girlhood and young womanhood that appeal to them.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Even though a minority of people with Tourette syndrome experience coprolalia, media portrayals of Tourette’s disproportionately focus on outbursts of profanity.
—Rena Zito, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
The television portrayals couldn't be more different.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
But people focusing on these kinds of inhuman portrayals might consider what Safdie and Tierney are doing differently.
—David Colman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
Dane starred in the HBO drama, delivering one of the most menacing portrayals as the father of Nate Jacobs (played by Jacob Elordi).
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
On His Own Terms Playing one of fiction’s most iconic characters could feel daunting, especially with so many legendary portrayals already in the cultural consciousness.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayals
Noun
-
Most intriguing, though, are the show’s depictions of monstrosity.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Phil Chan’s organization Final Bow for Yellowface has worked to end the practice of Yellowface in America’s most popular ballet, The Nutcracker, and bring authentic depictions of Asian culture to ballet stages.—
Chloe Angyal,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Advertisement Oksana Masters and Aaron Pike ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Paralympics portraits on April 29, 2017 in West Hollywood, California.—
Oksana Masters,
Time,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Flare resistance is excellent, too, so take landscape and cityscape images or portraits with the sun in frame without worry.—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Jamison's attorneys also didn’t receive reports describing how police had investigated another man who matched eyewitness descriptions.—
Kevin Grasha,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The brief one- to two-paragraph summaries, which mostly contain descriptions of what different animals and plants look like, don’t meet the standards of the Endangered Species Act, Bennett said.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While beautiful at first, once all of the Instagram pictures were taken, the open-air space started to get old for me.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In the other, a 9-year-old Khimberly held drawings and pictures for a school project.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portrayals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayals. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
