1
as in to describe
to give a representation or account of in words
the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to characterize
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 to depict
to present a picture of
a landscape that portrays the scenery near the town where the painter grew up
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to play
to present a portrayal or performance of
gained fame portraying Susan B. Anthony in a one-woman show
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portray
Indian American families frequently approach Khare, who is also a Dartmouth graduate, to see a woman from her cultural background portrayed as physically strong and capable.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 June 2026
Industry versus lifestyle Monday’s meeting drew a mix of outspoken residents presenting concerns about data centers’ direct impact on their rural communities, and commercial leaders portraying the data center economy as an essential growth opportunity for Jackson County’s economy.
—Ilana Arougheti
june 1, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
One of the hallmarks of its origins is a tile work from 1928 by Ernest Batcheler, an American artist of Dutch descent, that portrays a Spanish woman wearing a pink traditional Sevilla dress with frills, a shawl with fringe and a headpiece known as a mantilla.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2026
Given that Tom rose to fame as the most recent actor to portray Peter Parker and Spider-Man in Sony's Spider-Man film franchise, the home video moment could be seen as foreshadowing for the superhero actor's career.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for portray
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 June 2026
Industry versus lifestyle Monday’s meeting drew a mix of outspoken residents presenting concerns about data centers’ direct impact on their rural communities, and commercial leaders portraying the data center economy as an essential growth opportunity for Jackson County’s economy.
—Ilana Arougheti
june 1, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
One of the hallmarks of its origins is a tile work from 1928 by Ernest Batcheler, an American artist of Dutch descent, that portrays a Spanish woman wearing a pink traditional Sevilla dress with frills, a shawl with fringe and a headpiece known as a mantilla.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2026
Given that Tom rose to fame as the most recent actor to portray Peter Parker and Spider-Man in Sony's Spider-Man film franchise, the home video moment could be seen as foreshadowing for the superhero actor's career.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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Oh, to live in a room filled with the objects described by Katherine Mansfield.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
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But few would describe this year’s ragtag selection of new musicals as robust.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Rather than a slight to Lane, Lithgow’s win is a sign of the dramatic depth that characterized this otherwise squirrely season.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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Such variety seemed impossible as recently as 2018, when the Golden State Warriors were at the height of their reign and decades of history suggested the NBA would always be the American sports league most characterized by dynasties.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Wynn, who died last spring and for whom a wing of Zumthor’s aerodynamic structure is named, donated a Francis Bacon triptych depicting Bacon’s friend and fellow-painter Lucian Freud, the only Bacons on display in a public Los Angeles museum.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
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Moscow has long sought to depict its victory as an inevitability, demanding enormous Ukrainian concessions in exchange for any halt to the invasion -- and since January 2025 often with the explicit or implicit backing of the White House.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Sometimes there would be groups of young men along the sidewalks by the entrance to the pool, playing a game with coins thrown against a wall.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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More screen time is given over to her burgeoning friendship with firebrand suffragette Mary, played by singer Lily Allen in a deliberately anachronistic performance — her forthright speech and manner beamed in directly from the 21st century.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Big problems that don’t get fixed quickly enough or at all, and Pratt represents the angry voter who wants to know why City Hall can’t do better and where all the money went.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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However, his exit created a two-way contract spot that was filled by Mac McClung, who not-so-coincidentally was about to represent the 76ers in the All-Star Saturday Night Dunk Contest.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Cook has performed at Darcelle’s since the 1990s and has spent 38 years in drag.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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Trump has undergone four medical checkups in 13 months, prompting questions about the frequency of his visits, the types of tests being performed and what doctors are looking for.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Unable to agree on how to interpret the American story, the country’s schools, universities, and political institutions have stopped trying to tell it at all.—
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
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The agency’s instructions for how to determine the motor carrier involved in a crash are interpreted differently by police who respond to the scene, the news organizations found.—
Willoughby Mariano,
ProPublica,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Rather than attacking all rapidly growing cells, as chemotherapy does, the drug targets a key cancer-driving pathway known as KRAS, which is involved in more than 90% of pancreatic tumors.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
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Ionic liquids are essentially salts that stay in liquid form even in the vacuum of space, which very few materials can do.—
Omar Kardoudi
June 05,
New Atlas,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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