1
as in described
to give a representation or account of in words
the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in characterized
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
traditionally, European authors portrayed the natives as wise and noble
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3
as in depicted
to present a picture of
a landscape that portrays the scenery near the town where the painter grew up
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4
as in played
to present a portrayal or performance of
gained fame portraying Susan B. Anthony in a one-woman show
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portrayed
Dozens of people submitted letters on Roberts’ behalf to dispute how he has been portrayed and provide details of his positive impact.
—
Hannah Fingerhut, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Andrew Scott famously played him in Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ hit BBC drama Sherlock and he has also been portrayed by the likes of Ralph Fiennes, Jared Harris, Dougray Scott, Eric Porter and Dónal Finn down the years.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 May 2026
Gilbert portrayed author Laura Ingalls Wilder on the NBC historical drama, an adaptation of Wilder's children book series, for over 200 episodes from 1974 to 1983.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Reeves, 61, worked with Rinsch on the 2013 movie 47 Ronin, in which the actor portrayed a samurai in 1600s Japan.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
There’s not a team in professional sports that gets made fun of in pop culture more regularly than the Jets, often portrayed as a synonym for failure.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Charles Cioffi, the veteran character actor who portrayed lots of cops and crooks in projects including Klute, Shaft, Get Christie Love!
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2026
Monochromatic racks of product are matched by the store’s unsatisfied and underpaid employees, including a glam goth sales associate turned labor organizer, Violeta, played by Eiza Gonzalez and a hilariously uptight store manager Grayson, portrayed by Will Poulter.
—Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 22 May 2026
In one video, Pratt is portrayed as Batman, protecting the city from Mayor Karen Bass, dressed as the Joker.
—Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 22 May 2026
Hannah Fingerhut, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Andrew Scott famously played him in Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ hit BBC drama Sherlock and he has also been portrayed by the likes of Ralph Fiennes, Jared Harris, Dougray Scott, Eric Porter and Dónal Finn down the years.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 May 2026
Gilbert portrayed author Laura Ingalls Wilder on the NBC historical drama, an adaptation of Wilder's children book series, for over 200 episodes from 1974 to 1983.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Reeves, 61, worked with Rinsch on the 2013 movie 47 Ronin, in which the actor portrayed a samurai in 1600s Japan.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
There’s not a team in professional sports that gets made fun of in pop culture more regularly than the Jets, often portrayed as a synonym for failure.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Charles Cioffi, the veteran character actor who portrayed lots of cops and crooks in projects including Klute, Shaft, Get Christie Love!
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2026
Monochromatic racks of product are matched by the store’s unsatisfied and underpaid employees, including a glam goth sales associate turned labor organizer, Violeta, played by Eiza Gonzalez and a hilariously uptight store manager Grayson, portrayed by Will Poulter.
—Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 22 May 2026
In one video, Pratt is portrayed as Batman, protecting the city from Mayor Karen Bass, dressed as the Joker.
—Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayed
Verb
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Images released by Mexican authorities also appear to show ventilation infrastructure inside the tunnel, underscoring what officials described as a sophisticated operation.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
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Very little of Iran’s economy can accurately be described as belonging to the private sector.—
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The data reframes a market long characterized as advertising-resistant.—
Frank Racioppi,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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Buffett famously characterized Berkshire's investment in Apple as a consumer bet.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Alex was also depicted by both Jahsaiah Williams and Max Fincham in Netflix's drama series based on the case called The Witness, also out June 4.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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De Gelsey always claimed the painting depicted his mother, and hung a study in his London home.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
5 June 2026
Verb
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In addition, the Urban Summit played a leading role in the special election to recall former Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr.—
Freddrell Green,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
-
While the men who landed on the beaches of Normandy are remembered each year, Museum officials said the women on the home front played an essential role in making Allied victory possible.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Upon his return to Pittsburgh, Negri studied musical composition at Carnegie Mellon University and performed extensively in the local music scene, which included playing with pianist Johnny Costa on the CBS TV station KDKA.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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Makeup categories, including lip products, cushions and foundations, followed, while hair care, body care, beauty accessories and wellness products also performed strongly.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Highly capable professionals often spend enormous amounts of energy replaying conversations, second-guessing decisions, and trying to predict how others interpreted their behavior.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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Obsession doesn’t seem so interested in concerns such as intimate-partner abuse, although it could easily be interpreted as an allegory for it.—
Emma Stefansky,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portrayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayed. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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