1
as in describing
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portraying
The Venezuelan government has denied these allegations, portraying the agency as essential to defending national sovereignty against coups and foreign intervention.
—
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
He was best known for portraying Randy Benton on NBC's long-running Western The Virginian.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Rather than portraying Cracolândia’s inhabitants as violent, lawbreaking addicts, Som da Maloka captures their artistry as singers, musicians, and poets, with Escobar putting their talents on full display through local carnival parades organized by his Blocolândia initiative.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Have a chat with historians, archaeologists, working tradespeople, and actors portraying presidents, all while learning what life was like in Virginia for all of its 18th-century residents.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 25 Dec. 2025
Actors portraying Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were among the mourners, along with a portrayal of John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, FOX 10 reported.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025
After portraying real-life Italian cardinal and soldier Cesare Borgia on The Borgias (2011–2013), François Arnaud landed leading roles on series like Midnight, Texas (2017–2018) and The Moodys (2019–2021).
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Dec. 2025
His political heirs have also tried to redeem his image in the last decade, portraying him instead as a strong leader who brought stability to the country.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
Angels counsel has attempted to discredit these former employees, portraying them as bitter because of their dismissals from the club.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
He was best known for portraying Randy Benton on NBC's long-running Western The Virginian.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Rather than portraying Cracolândia’s inhabitants as violent, lawbreaking addicts, Som da Maloka captures their artistry as singers, musicians, and poets, with Escobar putting their talents on full display through local carnival parades organized by his Blocolândia initiative.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Have a chat with historians, archaeologists, working tradespeople, and actors portraying presidents, all while learning what life was like in Virginia for all of its 18th-century residents.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 25 Dec. 2025
Actors portraying Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were among the mourners, along with a portrayal of John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, FOX 10 reported.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025
After portraying real-life Italian cardinal and soldier Cesare Borgia on The Borgias (2011–2013), François Arnaud landed leading roles on series like Midnight, Texas (2017–2018) and The Moodys (2019–2021).
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Dec. 2025
His political heirs have also tried to redeem his image in the last decade, portraying him instead as a strong leader who brought stability to the country.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
Angels counsel has attempted to discredit these former employees, portraying them as bitter because of their dismissals from the club.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraying
Verb
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After describing the facts of the case, Colbert later sat down with discuss the situation with MS NOW host Chris Hayes.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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But video footage of the encounter, posted online and verified by The New York Times and other outlets, raises questions about how federal officials are describing the incident.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In a statement posted to Instagram, SAG-AFTRA, one of the largest entertainment unions, blasted its creation, characterizing it as an affront to the work of human performers.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
10 Dec. 2025
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People are characterizing them and not listening to them.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In the 18th and 19th centuries, this square was the site of a slave market; today, bronze sculptures depicting scenes of branding and auctioning stand in memory of that brutal past.—
Caitlin Gunther,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2026
-
British law prohibits distribution of deepfake imagery depicting adults.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The teen was playing basketball at the park when he was approached by a group of young adults, who asked the teen if he was affiliated with a gang and tried to start a fight, police said.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Guys were playing hard, everybody on that drive was doing their job, and getting guys down on the ground.—
Mike Kaye
Updated January 11,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Tatiana Malinina, representing Uzbekistan, finished eighth in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, the same Olympics where Tara Lipinski and Kwan took gold and silver, respectively.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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While jailed, Braddy also became known for delaying his first trial by going through 10 lawyers and, at one point, representing himself.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Inside, a lavish cocktail reception featured ice sculptures and live music by 35 musicians from the Philharmonic Orchestra of Puerto Rico, performing familiar compositions with a Latin twist.—
Sarah Jones,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Asked to select indicators that show how well a school is performing, most respondents pointed to student grade-level performance, student academic growth over time and graduation rates.—
Bruce Rauner,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Longbow believes weight has become the defining problem across the car industry.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Many who lost their homes — including generations of Black locals who gave the mountain town a defining part of its identity for decades — remain displaced.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This perspective reflects her broader philosophy that people are active participants in their own process, capable of interpreting their internal signals with guidance rather than direction.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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But interpreting this statistic has become more complicated with the crackdown on immigrants.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraying. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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