portrayed

past tense of portray
1
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

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 portrayed Tiffany, who had 10-times more cash on hand than either Hong or Crowley did entering August, has portrayed the race as a contest between chaos and common sense. ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 And like any awkward teenager, his style was portrayed as a bit chaotic and confusing throughout the film—as per Karmin’s plan. Dylan Muñoz, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026 In this mise-en-scène, assisted dying is portrayed as a relational, dignified, and visually pleasing act. Vanessa Rampton, STAT, 5 Aug. 2026 The officials, who were briefed on the negotiations, portrayed the potential deal as a temporary solution to the dispute over the strait. Elena Becatoros, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 Athena Grant-Nash on Fox’s 9-1-1, a character she’s portrayed since 2018. Dylan Kickham, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026 Superman has been portrayed by multiple actors, but each reboot has largely asked audiences to begin again. David Deal, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 The person who portrayed being a teen was actually a decoy, police said. Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 DePaiva portrayed Max from 1987 to 1990 and from 1991 to 2003 before returning briefly in 2007. Christina Dugan Ramirez, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayed
Verb
  • Insomnia is described as a hyperarousal disorder, with daily stress exacerbating the cycle.
    Mena Mirhom, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The duties of the position were described by athletic director Travis Goff in an article published Thursday by The Star.
    Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This growing phenomenon—what workplace experts describe as pre-work overwhelm—is characterized by anxiety, mental clutter and emotional fatigue that builds before the workday has even begun.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • One theater site called OnStageBlog reported that Segers had previously posted what commenters characterized as anti-transgender videos and was critical of pronoun usage choice.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In Roman art, invidia is sometimes depicted as a gaunt Medusa-like figure with serpents for hair.
    Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
  • For the cover of the August 10, 2026, issue, the painter and graphic novelist Eric Drooker depicted the Guggenheim Museum as a cool clearing in a forest.
    Françoise Mouly, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In a clip posted to her Instagram Stories, the Duchess of Sussex wore her pajamas while cooking breakfast as music played in the background.
    Hannah Malach, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Upon her return to Chase Center, Los Angeles Sparks guard Kate Martin receives a pregame tribute video and a standing ovation; Martin played one season for the Valkyries before being cut in training camp this year.
    Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • More recently, Little Feat’s music has been embraced and performed by a new generation of artists that includes Sierra Ferrell, Marcus King, Molly Tuttle and Shakey Graves.
    George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Why Russia Is Expanding Gerbera Usage Many of the missions performed by the Gerbera over the past several months could also be performed by the Geran-2, Russia’s flagship long-range drone.
    Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Since the 1970s, the federal government has interpreted harm to include any actions that degrade a species’ habitat, given the necessity of habitat for a species’ survival.
    Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
  • Each signal contributes to the full picture, and each signal becomes more useful when it can be interpreted alongside the others.
    Kannan Kothandaraman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Portrayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayed. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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