PORTRAYER Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

portray

verb

pȯr-ˈtrā

Definition of portray

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

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

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

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

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 portray The documentary will portray Khelif’s daily life ever since but also her whole life starting from her birth and childhood in Algeria. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026 For nearly two decades, Rahul Gandhi has been portrayed as an entitled and ineffectual politician who could neither revive the Indian National Congress party nor challenge the iron rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. — Rana Ayyub, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026 Williams portrays her other daughter, Antonia, while Kidman revives her iconic Practical Magic role as Sally’s sister, Gillian. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 Starring Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, the movie portrays three working women who rebel against their sexist boss. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for portray

Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray

Verb

The modern American Dream is best described as a private bunker where the outside world arrives entirely in a cardboard box or a fiber-optic cable.

— John Mac Ghlionn, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026
Strahan described the chaos in New York City amid the rescue efforts and the accompanying bomb threats and noted that the Giants could still see smoke from the twin towers from the team’s practice fields.

— Michael Silver, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of describe

Verb

The Nevada Independent previously reported on Thursday that the Nevada secretary of state’s office received the seven subpoenas, which the office characterized as being from the FBI.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026
Latvia characterized the Leipzig attack in even stronger terms.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of characterize

Verb

For the cover of the September 14, 2026, Fall Style & Design Issue, the artist Lennart Gäbel depicted a feeling that every New York City subway rider knows well.

— Françoise Mouly, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Well, the internet cooked up the idea that the chant originated from late-1800s and early-1900s imagery and stories that depicted Black children being used as bait to catch alligators.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of depict

Verb

And most notably for Premier League fans, there is plenty of opportunity to gauge each English club, with Liverpool and Arsenal the only teams playing concurrently on the opening week.

— Leon Imber, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Propulsion capacity grows The PAC-3 MSE’s propulsion system plays a critical role during an engagement.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of play

Verb

As rehearsals move forward, Eisenberg repeats key scenes in the play and shoots them differently each time, his camera coming to represent Mona’s shifting perspective.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
For countries expanding nuclear power, that could represent a potentially enormous additional source of nuclear fuel.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of represent

Verb

And yet 20 years ago, the haka’s future was in doubt — assailed by protests from rival teams that New Zealand gained an unfair advantage from performing it as the final action before kick-off in a Test match.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
But testing it has been impossible because nobody has managed to build an interferometer that could perform the necessary measurement.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of perform

Verb

In fact, Hal does so almost immediately so John can use his artistic skills to create a complex tunneling device for burrowing beneath the compound.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
As the business grows, employee owners' ESOP accounts do, too, without contributing a cent.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of do

Browse Nearby Words

portraitures

portray

portrayal

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Style

“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of portray

verb

Example Sentences

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