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
In a Fox News interview, Carr portrayed Kimmel as an elitist and his own interests as those of the community.
—
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2025
Naomi is portrayed by Phylicia Rashad; Boaz by Tyler Lepley.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
Vance outlasted his doubters, therefore, not by changing the substance of his views but by continuing to show up on camera and portray himself, more and more convincingly, as a relatable person.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
Motherhood and entrepreneurship are often portrayed as competing forces.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portray
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2025
Naomi is portrayed by Phylicia Rashad; Boaz by Tyler Lepley.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
Vance outlasted his doubters, therefore, not by changing the substance of his views but by continuing to show up on camera and portray himself, more and more convincingly, as a relatable person.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
Motherhood and entrepreneurship are often portrayed as competing forces.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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Trump described how Kirk would ask him to fly across the country to appear at his events with little notice.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
22 Sep. 2025
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This article describes attempted suicide.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The house, which comes with a private boat dock and direct river access, is characterized by original architectural details from the period, a steep, pitched roof with cross gables, expansive dormer windows, intricate decorative wood trim and a wrap-around porch.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
20 Sep. 2025
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James’ lawyers have vigorously denied any allegations and characterized the investigation as an act of political revenge.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The photo, informally titled The Scourged Back and depicting an escaped slave believed to have been named Peter Gordon, has been in wide circulation since the nineteeth century and is evocative of the horrors and injustice of slavery.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
18 Sep. 2025
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Some of them are from other dimensions, some of them depict earlier, less experienced versions of a character.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Almost two full years later, on the verge of making the postseason, the Padres returned to the ballpark that is home to one of baseball’s worst teams and continued to play like a team that seems bent on disappointing in its own spectacular way.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Sep. 2025
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Yet, Ruud just kept right on playing good defense — racing around Laver Cup’s black hardcourt — and somehow managing to return serves that reached 130 mph.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The unit in the 1300 block of Quema Drive in Fremont was sold on July 25, 2025 for $2,588,000 which represents a price per square foot of $1,561.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
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Nicole Conlan, Chris Gethard, Liz Hynes, Sarah Montana, Sharyn Rothstein and Erica Saleh were elected to serve on the Council representing Film/TV/Streaming members.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This is when your liver is so scarred up that there’s barely enough normal tissue to perform the routine functions of the liver.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Scientists performed dental exams and took blood samples — participants also filled out dietary questionnaires.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The attorney general faced immense backlash from the left and the right over her comments, prompting her to clarify the remarks, which were widely interpreted as calling for unlawful prosecutions, on Tuesday morning.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
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To interpret the results, the team will develop computer algorithms that decode which neurons are firing and what that activity means.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In addition to higher rates and fewer terms, Rocket also charges closing costs, which Third Federal does not.—
Kelsey Neubauer,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
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This is done through communication of leadership goals.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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