1
as in describing
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 characterizing
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 depicting
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 playing
to present a portrayal or performance of
gained fame portraying Susan B. Anthony in a one-woman show
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Recent Examples of portraying
Hundreds of people attended the Via Crucis in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood on Good Friday, straining their necks to catch a glimpse of the actor portraying Jesus in the final moments before his execution.
—
Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Laina Morris, for instance, has tried to move on from the image of her grinning, bug-eyed face that became a popular meme portraying her as an overly protective and clingy girlfriend.
—Ben Pettis, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Attorneys for the other defendants echoed that argument, portraying the case as heavily reliant on testimony from insiders seeking leniency rather than independent evidence.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Paramount+ announced on April 2 that the Succession actor is returning to television, scoring his first major role since portraying the cantankerous patriarch Logan Roy.
—Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
He’ll next be seen portraying Coach Jensen in Off Campus, Prime Video’s upcoming hockey romance series based on Elle Kennedy’s popular book series.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
Fans last saw Dane portraying a firefighter coming to terms with an ALS diagnosis on Brilliant Minds last November.
—Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
In July, Mattsson exited General Hospital after eight years portraying Sasha Gilmore, who was later revealed to be the secret daughter of Holly Sutton (Emma Samms) and Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers, who died in August 2025).
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 30 Mar. 2026
But his lawyers argued there was more at stake than contract law, portraying the Kennedy Center's suit as an effort to intimidate artists.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Laina Morris, for instance, has tried to move on from the image of her grinning, bug-eyed face that became a popular meme portraying her as an overly protective and clingy girlfriend.
—Ben Pettis, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Attorneys for the other defendants echoed that argument, portraying the case as heavily reliant on testimony from insiders seeking leniency rather than independent evidence.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Paramount+ announced on April 2 that the Succession actor is returning to television, scoring his first major role since portraying the cantankerous patriarch Logan Roy.
—Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
He’ll next be seen portraying Coach Jensen in Off Campus, Prime Video’s upcoming hockey romance series based on Elle Kennedy’s popular book series.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
Fans last saw Dane portraying a firefighter coming to terms with an ALS diagnosis on Brilliant Minds last November.
—Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
In July, Mattsson exited General Hospital after eight years portraying Sasha Gilmore, who was later revealed to be the secret daughter of Holly Sutton (Emma Samms) and Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers, who died in August 2025).
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 30 Mar. 2026
But his lawyers argued there was more at stake than contract law, portraying the Kennedy Center's suit as an effort to intimidate artists.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraying
Verb
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In the interview, describing the early moments of her mother’s absence, Guthrie explained the array of terrifying thoughts that occurred to her and to her siblings.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates later designated it a terrorist organization, describing it as a threat to national stability, while Bahrain adopted a similar stance.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The notion of characterizing such a move as anything more than penalizing the public — which is finally balking at more taxation — is nonsense.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Analysts at Mizuho, for example, urged investors not to overreact, characterizing the move as typical profit-taking after a strong rally.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Little touches include a selection of books focused on native flora and fauna and art depicting local landscapes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
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Now some Republicans are depicting the No Kings movement as a band of radicals, out of step with mainstream political opinion.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Cubs went from playing in 100-plus degree weather for over a week in Arizona to wind chills in the upper 20s on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field in their 6-2 win over the Angels.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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These are the public spaces that guests mill about in—sipping a berry cooler at the long bar, enjoying a glass of malbec and a read by the stove, or playing monopoly at the communal table.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fisher Flores, legal director of the American Bar Association’s ProBar project, said that this year the organization has worked on eight habeas corpus petitions representing children who have been held in federal custody for an average of 225 days.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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The other three are at-large members representing all county residents.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Wednesday morning, Coral Springs police discovered Metayer‘s body inside her home while performing a welfare check.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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Research from Anthropic last month revealed that AI is theoretically capable of performing the majority of tasks in white-collar fields, such as engineering, law, and business and finance.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Astor family were the defining dynasty of New York's Gilded Age, and that spirit of grandeur and meticulous hosting has traveled with the brand ever since.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
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Dowd returns to her career-defining role as Aunt Lydia, who is now the leader of the school where Agnes and Daisy are students.—
Alex Cramer,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This return marks yet another instance where policy in our country and consequential matters like going to war may as well be decided by the positions of constellations or as the ancient Greeks decided – by interpreting the behaviors of birds in the sky.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
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Saturn's long seasonal cycles — each lasting about seven Earth years — also provide important context for interpreting changes in the planet's atmosphere and rings over time.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraying. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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