1
as in to describe
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 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
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3
as in to depict
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 to play
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 portray
Conrad, you are nominated for portraying Abraham Lincoln.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 28 May 2025
Clint Eastwood starred in the 1979 telling, which portrayed the unbelievably elaborate lengths the prisoners took to break out.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Longtime creative partners Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg often co-write and co-direct and the show centers around a hapless head of the fictional Continental Studios portrayed by Rogen and surrounded by a band of equally myopic execs.
—Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
For voice actors who previously portrayed Darth Vader in video games, the Fortnite feature starkly illustrates how AI voice synthesis could reshape their profession.
—Ashley Belanger – May 19, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for portray
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 28 May 2025
Clint Eastwood starred in the 1979 telling, which portrayed the unbelievably elaborate lengths the prisoners took to break out.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Longtime creative partners Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg often co-write and co-direct and the show centers around a hapless head of the fictional Continental Studios portrayed by Rogen and surrounded by a band of equally myopic execs.
—Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
For voice actors who previously portrayed Darth Vader in video games, the Fortnite feature starkly illustrates how AI voice synthesis could reshape their profession.
—Ashley Belanger – May 19, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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And he was forever struck by the example of Peter’s family encouraging and challenging him — an approach that enabled Peter to work and ski and fish and live what Reid described as a normal life.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2025
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Marcos Lopez, sheriff of Osceola County, Fla., was jailed in nearby Lake County on suspicion of racketeering and conspiracy as part of what state authorities described as a probe into an expansive gambling operation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Following deep sleep, REM sleep is the next critical phase of sleep cycles, characterized by more dreaming that’s also extra vivid and lifelike, and by faster heart rate and breathing.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
8 June 2025
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Kirn characterized the foreword as a kind of ideological overreach.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Administration officials have also depicted Abrego Garcia, a sheet metal apprentice, as a violent criminal, accusing him—without proof—of being affiliated with MS-13.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
7 June 2025
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Or the controversy over the stereotypically demeaning roles Black actors depicted.—
Paula L. Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Sarah Snook, who played Shiv Roy on that HBO drama, was nominated (and went on to win!), following in the footsteps of her costars Jeremy Strong and Keiran Culkin.—
Melissa Locker,
Time,
9 June 2025
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The band then went on to play its way through the rest of the Village, cranking out cartoon theme song medleys between the sets as mostly white kids thrashed in the crowd.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
8 June 2025
Verb
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While Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan represented the United States at the 2022 World Cup, attacking midfielder Albert Rusnak is the creative heart of Schmetzer’s side.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
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According to the lawsuit, the union represents roughly 3,400 excluded employees, who are classified as managers and supervisors related to Bargaining Unit 9.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2025
Verb
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But this year, the original cast members of Hamilton are not throwing away their shot to perform at Broadway’s biggest night.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
3 June 2025
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Also in New York City, Uma Thurman brings her daughter Luna to the opening night of Eurydice, while Ciara performs at King's Cross in London.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Collins explains why they haven’t been given their due and their contributions have been interpreted as opposition to the current state of the workplace.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Meanwhile, social media commenters are interpreting the shift as a sign of the times.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 June 2025
Verb
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One of his owners, Craig Leipold, did, back in January.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
5 June 2025
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Enter Ketamine To confirm the finding, the team did the experiment again.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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