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 Biggs also earned the backing from the left-leaning Service Employees International Union and portrayed herself as a progressive. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026 Trump has portrayed the bill as a simple fix to a complicated problem. — Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026 Vang has emphasized generational change and her progressive policies, while Matsui has portrayed herself as a more experienced leader with broader appeal. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026 This film stars Joseph Zada as a teenage Haymitch Abernathy, who is the District 12 character portrayed by Woody Harrelson in the original series of films. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 2 Nov. 2026 The McGregors told the Optimist they were disappointed by the decision and how their work has been portrayed, particularly since Hill’s firing. — Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2026 In fact, the whole family got into the spirit of Shrek, with McCaffrey dressing as the green ogre himself while Culpo was Princess Fiona, and their 1-year-old daughter Colette hilariously portrayed Lord Farquaad, complete with bushy dark eyebrows! — Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2026 Trump alleged that the story falsely portrayed him as the letter’s author and linked him to Epstein’s crimes. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026 The Los Angeles city attorney’s office is suing an animal rescue organization that was once a favorite among Hollywood celebrities, alleging that its owner purchased dogs from puppy mills and portrayed them to adopters as animals that were rescued. — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayed
Verb
  • Authorities have described the more than two dozen threats as malicious hoaxes, and no actual attacks have been carried out.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Woodward described the initiative as part of the DOJ’s broader public safety mission.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • This year’s attendees described a challenging environment characterized by jittery consumers, elevated interest rates and fuel costs, fluctuating tariff policies and an expensive landscape for construction.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2026
  • His four years in Denver were characterized by first-round losses and a cumulative 3-16 playoff record.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • The small-boat crossings have been depicted as a crisis by politicians including Nigel Farage of the hard-right party Reform UK, and have been used as a rallying point by anti-immigration activists.
    — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • What readers are saying The conversation explores a mix of humor and skepticism regarding the use of AI, as depicted in Edith Pritchett's cartoon.
    — Edith Pritchett, Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Federal district judges, even at the risk of physical threats, played a key role by throttling unconstitutional White House efforts to seize state voting records, curtail mail-in voting and manipulate the count in Alaska.
    — James D. Zirin, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • That is underscored by the fact that Democrats also certainly played a role in getting the word out about Amendment 3.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Chazi Rutz, a professional skydiver from Arizona, told The Times that the two skydivers were part of a group training to set a California record for largest formation in the upright orientation performed by women.
    — Iris Kwok Follow Nov. 6, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The 2012 edition showed us there was genuine appetite for Dracula in audio, and that the epistolary structure of letters and diary entries actually works beautifully when performed by multiple voices.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Still, it was interpreted as another potentially concerning sign for the industry, which remains a very long way from scaling up.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026
  • In the decades that followed, as the original economists interpreted and reinterpreted Smith, wrestling with the relationships between renters and their landlords, the free market and the state, Maria grappled right along with them.
    — Jeanna Smialek, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Portrayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayed. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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