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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portraying
Lillard is perhaps known for portraying Stu Macher — one-half of the horror-obsessive-turned-serial-killing duo, alongside Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis — in the 1996 original, which has since spawned a decades-long franchise.
—
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2025
The announcement says that actors portraying Cynthia Lennon, Brian Epstein, George Martin, Ravi Shankar, and other key roles will be forthcoming.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2025
Englund originated the role of Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, portraying him in eight films before Jackie Earle Haley took over in the 2010 remake of the original.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The episode features a flashback to the 1970s, with Myers portraying a child version of Will Smith.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
The Doomsday cast also includes Channing Tatum's return as Gambit after portraying the character in Deadpool & Wolverine.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
The Toledo Museum of Art purchased a work portraying the underground railroad, while two arts foundations—Art Bridges Foundation and Terra Foundation for American Art—together bought three murals depicting the Amistad saga, largely forgotten at the time of their making.
—News Desk, Artforum, 29 Oct. 2025
The Missile Defense Agency issued an October 16 internal memo that criticized A House of Dynamite for portraying its nuclear missile defenses as only 50 percent effective, which was then leaked to Bloomberg, per an October 25 report.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
Star Kenzi Richardson spoke with Parents about her adventures portraying a teen vampire and making her dreams come true on Disney Channel.
—Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 27 Oct. 2025
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2025
The announcement says that actors portraying Cynthia Lennon, Brian Epstein, George Martin, Ravi Shankar, and other key roles will be forthcoming.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2025
Englund originated the role of Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, portraying him in eight films before Jackie Earle Haley took over in the 2010 remake of the original.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The episode features a flashback to the 1970s, with Myers portraying a child version of Will Smith.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
The Doomsday cast also includes Channing Tatum's return as Gambit after portraying the character in Deadpool & Wolverine.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
The Toledo Museum of Art purchased a work portraying the underground railroad, while two arts foundations—Art Bridges Foundation and Terra Foundation for American Art—together bought three murals depicting the Amistad saga, largely forgotten at the time of their making.
—News Desk, Artforum, 29 Oct. 2025
The Missile Defense Agency issued an October 16 internal memo that criticized A House of Dynamite for portraying its nuclear missile defenses as only 50 percent effective, which was then leaked to Bloomberg, per an October 25 report.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
Star Kenzi Richardson spoke with Parents about her adventures portraying a teen vampire and making her dreams come true on Disney Channel.
—Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraying
Verb
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Meller provided a concrete example of AI’s democratizing potential, describing how a scene that would have cost half his film’s budget and taken weeks with traditional effects was roughed out in five minutes using Kling AI.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
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Three Air Force employees are dead in what Ohio officials are describing as a double murder-suicide.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But Rodriguez and Patacsil expressed skepticism about how other members were characterizing that advice.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Oct. 2025
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Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, condemned the protest, characterizing it as an attempt to obstruct law enforcement operations.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dancers in ornate pharaonic costumes -- crowned with golden headpieces and holding scepters -- performed to a live international orchestra, as fireworks and drones depicting ancient gods lit up the sky above.—
Ayat Al-Tawy,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
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The most popular images depicting families are centered around nature and farmwork, leaving out indoor bonding activities like sharing meals, getting ready for work and school, playing games and shopping.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Bucks did exactly what Antetokounmpo asked, playing the Warriors tough all night and eventually pulling out a win behind a career-high 32 points from Ryan Rollins.—
Eric Nehm,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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It’s taken time, Fonseca admits, to grow accustomed to playing in front of such raucous crowds.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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New experiences cause new sets of neurons to fire, representing new addresses.—
James Somers,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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The company expects total inventory in the fourth quarter of approximately $645 million, representing a decrease of approximately $120 million from the third quarter.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In contrast, humanoids like Tesla’s Optimus and Figure 03 are beginning to demonstrate real-world utility, performing tasks related to cooking and cleaning with growing reliability.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
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While rapper GloRilla was performing, someone in the audience threw an object thought to be a bottle at the stage.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Likewise, Kumiko Ogawa’s costumes include character-defining garments as well as elaborate getups for the plays, some of which are constructed for suspenseful onstage costume changes.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
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Once viewed as a sideline to his film and comedy career, Martin’s music has instead become a defining pillar.—
Russ Penuell,
Billboard,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Clothes that defy convention — of gender, of context, even of gravity — interpreting sculptural and oversized forms.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
29 Oct. 2025
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My great-grandfather wrote a journal about his life in Mexico, but my family still has a hard time interpreting it because it’s written in a mixture of Spanish and Indigenous languages.—
jsonline.com,
jsonline.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraying. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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