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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portraying
Andrew Garfield is leading the feature that is now in production, portraying the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II.
—
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
Trump then spoke before the Israeli Knesset, portraying the ceasefire as a personal and unparalleled victory.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
What To Know The Saturday Night Live opener featured former cast members Poehler and Tina Fey portraying Bondi and Noem, respectively.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
And what Clarke does an excellent job of is portraying how, for families like this, the problem isn’t them.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 13 Oct. 2025
The sketch began by portraying part of Bondi’s controversial Senate hearing this week, where the United States Attorney General was grilled and cagey about topics such as the Jeffrey Epstein files.
—William Earl, Variety, 12 Oct. 2025
The film, portraying the last 12 hours of Christ’s life, debuted to an opening weekend of $83 million on its way to taking in $370 million in North American theaters and more than $610 million globally off a $30 million production budget.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2025
Midler and Hawn co-starred alongside Keaton in 1996’s The First Wives Club, with the stars portraying divorcées who wonderfully, wickedly take revenge on their terrible former spouses.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
Yet, Republicans know insurance companies will spend millions portraying any action as an assault on seniors.
—Mark Merritt, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
Trump then spoke before the Israeli Knesset, portraying the ceasefire as a personal and unparalleled victory.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
What To Know The Saturday Night Live opener featured former cast members Poehler and Tina Fey portraying Bondi and Noem, respectively.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
And what Clarke does an excellent job of is portraying how, for families like this, the problem isn’t them.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 13 Oct. 2025
The sketch began by portraying part of Bondi’s controversial Senate hearing this week, where the United States Attorney General was grilled and cagey about topics such as the Jeffrey Epstein files.
—William Earl, Variety, 12 Oct. 2025
The film, portraying the last 12 hours of Christ’s life, debuted to an opening weekend of $83 million on its way to taking in $370 million in North American theaters and more than $610 million globally off a $30 million production budget.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2025
Midler and Hawn co-starred alongside Keaton in 1996’s The First Wives Club, with the stars portraying divorcées who wonderfully, wickedly take revenge on their terrible former spouses.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
Yet, Republicans know insurance companies will spend millions portraying any action as an assault on seniors.
—Mark Merritt, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraying
Verb
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Since their 23-9 win Sunday against the Browns, the Steelers have not minced words when describing the playing surface for the game.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Velasquez, who was wearing a seatbelt, was not injured and has not been charged in what officials are describing as an accident on a dark road.—
Susan Young,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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In an amicus brief filed to the Supreme Court, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association and 12 other professional bodies argued that characterizing talk therapy as mere speech fundamentally misunderstands its therapeutic use and purpose.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Joist ceilings are painted white, and wallpaper depicting pink roses is stretched across a wall.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
9 Oct. 2025
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Video circulated widely on social media showing the aftermath of the shooting, depicting a man on the ground in front of a car and another man standing holding a gun.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Its return is part of the 2026 Banana Ball World Tour and the launch of the Banana Ball Championship League, with all six league teams playing a 60-game schedule culminating in the Banana Bowl Championship next October.—
Shane Connuck
October 9,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Oct. 2025
-
After close to two decades had been spent playing professional football, mainly in the EFL, there was no clarity on what would come next when retirement came to his door.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Republican lawmaker representing Georgia’s northwest has, in recent days, doubled down on her criticism of her own party, this time hammering in on the continuing government shutdown.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
13 Oct. 2025
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That’s how many families the Social Media Victims Law Center is currently representing—families whose children have been harmed or lost forever to social media.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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McNeeley intends on performing wherever Lee places him on the court, tapping into his gritty demeanor, and nodded in virtual appreciation when Lee’s words were relayed to him.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
-
At the time of the store opening in September, Jobling said the John Varvatos brand was performing well, despite macroeconomic challenges, with a steady wholesale channel and strong sales in its full-price stores.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the God-fearing, first-time candidate is hoping to appeal to Florida voters at a time that the Democratic Party is struggling trying to find relevance or a defining identity in the MAGA era.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
15 Oct. 2025
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The video was a career-defining event, and in its aftermath D’Angelo developed complicated feelings about it.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, the video also shows King Charles and Kate Middleton sitting down while the guests clapped, which people are interpreting as a snub.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
25 Sep. 2025
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The new puzzles are more complex than those from 2019, sometimes requiring the application of multiple rules, reasoning for multiple steps, or interpreting symbols.—
Matthew Hutson,
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraying. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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