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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Earlier in the night, Poehler and Fey portrayed Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem, respectively, in the cold open.
—
Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2025
Advertisements followed suit, making men’s desire once again a dominating factor in how stories are told, and how women are portrayed.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
On Agatha All Along, Joe Locke (Heartstopper) portrayed older Billy Maximoff, whose spirit was transferred to the body of teenager Billy Kaplan after Wanda's hex hijinks dispersed.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
In the book, she's portrayed as someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and on anxiety medication, both of which are used to discredit her and paint her as unwell.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Steve Martin, who portrayed Keaton’s husband in 1991’s Father of the Bride and the sequel, paid tribute with a good-natured joke.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
The character, famously portrayed by the late, great Aaliyah in 2002’s Queen of the Damned, will be brought to life in Season 3 (aka The Vampire Lestat) by Sheila Atim, who recently appeared alongside Viola Davis in The Woman King.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 10 Oct. 2025
The real brush fire in question took place in the spring (not the winter, as portrayed on the show), and fires of that sort were common.
—Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery To ring in the spooky season, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery hosts an array of special events, including a murder mystery bash and evenings with Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe (who are portrayed by local storytellers).
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2025
Advertisements followed suit, making men’s desire once again a dominating factor in how stories are told, and how women are portrayed.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
On Agatha All Along, Joe Locke (Heartstopper) portrayed older Billy Maximoff, whose spirit was transferred to the body of teenager Billy Kaplan after Wanda's hex hijinks dispersed.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
In the book, she's portrayed as someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and on anxiety medication, both of which are used to discredit her and paint her as unwell.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Steve Martin, who portrayed Keaton’s husband in 1991’s Father of the Bride and the sequel, paid tribute with a good-natured joke.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
The character, famously portrayed by the late, great Aaliyah in 2002’s Queen of the Damned, will be brought to life in Season 3 (aka The Vampire Lestat) by Sheila Atim, who recently appeared alongside Viola Davis in The Woman King.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 10 Oct. 2025
The real brush fire in question took place in the spring (not the winter, as portrayed on the show), and fires of that sort were common.
—Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery To ring in the spooky season, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery hosts an array of special events, including a murder mystery bash and evenings with Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe (who are portrayed by local storytellers).
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayed
Verb
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Then layer the bulbs as described above, tossing organic fertilizer into the bottom of each layer to support root growth.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
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In response to a Star inquiry, the State Department confirmed Arrington’s role in obtaining the replica and described the former director as helpful and knowledgeable.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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An artist having a deeply real moment — or three minutes’ worth of moments — in a show otherwise characterized by an hour and a half of abject professionalism and fail-safe show-biz prowess?—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
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Roughly halfway through the hour-long debate — largely characterized by frequent interruptions from Earle-Sears — Spanberger criticized Earle-Sears’ history of opposition to LGBTQ+ rights.—
Samantha Riedel,
Them.,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Some Sora users depicted King making crude jokes and other inappropriate content.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
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In the days after the Sora app was released, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced changes to the app providing rights holders the ability to opt into their likenesses being depicted by AI, rather than such portrayals being allowed by default.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The offense played 69 snaps, the defense 53.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
14 Oct. 2025
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While Gandy played twice in the state of California during his three seasons with the Falcons, there’s an insufficient linkage between the Falcons and California for purposes of workers’ comp coverage.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Although the Dodgers’ bullpen performed well to get 10 outs after Glasnow was done.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
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The Dodgers, for their part, have performed quite well despite their primary offensive engine not firing properly.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The last-second defeat brought about some pretty amplified emotions from Dolphins players and fans, prompting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who threw three interceptions in the loss, to call out the team’s leadership, which many interpreted as a veiled shot at McDaniel.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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Backlash toward Rowling started in 2020 after the author posted several tweets and a 3,600-word essay that many interpreted as transphobic.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portrayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayed. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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