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 During his tenure, Kelker-Kelly portrayed the spouse of Hope Brady and love interest of Lisa Rinna’s Billie Reed. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 The former daytime talk show host will play Susan Cox Powell’s (portrayed here by Matreya Scarrwener) mother Judy Cox. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026 State of the race in Kansas A series of independent polls have portrayed the race as a dead heat. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026 De la Espriella, who was sworn into office in August, has portrayed himself as a staunch supporter of Colombia’s armed forces. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 Bilbao seems to be a central character in the film, sometimes portrayed as lonely, dark and gritty. — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026 Andrew Garfield portrayed Jim Bakker in 2021’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026 The actress portrayed Tori Scott on the final season of the teen comedy. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2026 Rather than accusing him of entering Moïse’s residence or firing a weapon, prosecutors portrayed him as a Sanon supporter who provided resources for the operation and stood to benefit from the government that conspirators hoped to install afterward. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayed
Verb
  • Hey, the boss needs a favor In a November 2025 Reddit post, one person described buying $800 in Target gift cards on their second day at a new job after receiving an email impersonating their boss.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI’s report on influence campaigns mounted using its technology also described a cluster of ChatGPT accounts in Russia that were banned after they were used to operate what appeared to be a fake think tank in Latin America.
    — Miriam Waldvogel, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • And Isaias’s broader wind field, characterized by ample shear — changing winds with height — will encourage those thunderstorms to rotate.
    — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The illness is characterized by muscle rigidity in the torso, arms and legs.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The Rock Art Trail is fun and educational, as is trying to identify what some of the animals depicted are.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • On tabletops with less abstract design, such as one with a skull depicted, differences in glazing and firing mean there are variations in the hue and colors.
    — Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Sony Pictures Classics picked up worldwide rights during the festival, and the film has since played Toronto’s Discovery program.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Unfortunately, the defense hasn’t played all that well, and the offense hasn’t been much better.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • With distinct shapes for Bordeaux, Burgundy, Syrah/ Shiraz, Riesling, Chianti Classico, Sauvignon Blanc, Cognac, and Brandy, Vinum shifted how sommeliers performed their duties—and how the rest of us drank wine.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The recycled cells performed comparably to batteries built using materials recovered from conventional fluorine-containing binders.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Rossi interpreted the idea of the piazza quite literally, arranging the service’s pieces like structures around a public square.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Courts have interpreted that to mean Americans are not required to believe in God or profess any faith.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Portrayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayed. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster