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 production features over 20 actors portraying characters from a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds, reflecting the diversity of the real-life camp.
—
Ray Campos, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Acting career Allen next turned to acting, portraying Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor in the film How to Build a Girl (2019).
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
The film is only interested in portraying Goodman as an unambiguous hero, robbing us of the chance to explore the nuances of a complicated person who has participated in decades of history.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026
Iranian state media organizations were portraying the advancement of the 10-point plan as an Iranian triumph.
—Will Clark, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
Brandon Routh, best known for portraying Superman in Superman Returns, has joined the cast of indie family drama Ethan Almighty – Ethan’s Law.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
Dana Ashbrook's first major TV role was portraying Bobby Briggs, Laura's boyfriend.
—Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Noah and Allie’s love story is told over decades, with three pairs of actors portraying the couple as teenagers, adults and older adults.
—Pamela Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Bishop is best known for portraying David Justice in Moneyball and for his standout roles in series such as BET’s Being Mary Jane, Netlfix’s The Imposters and CBS’ The Equalizer.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
Ray Campos, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Acting career Allen next turned to acting, portraying Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor in the film How to Build a Girl (2019).
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
The film is only interested in portraying Goodman as an unambiguous hero, robbing us of the chance to explore the nuances of a complicated person who has participated in decades of history.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026
Iranian state media organizations were portraying the advancement of the 10-point plan as an Iranian triumph.
—Will Clark, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
Brandon Routh, best known for portraying Superman in Superman Returns, has joined the cast of indie family drama Ethan Almighty – Ethan’s Law.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
Dana Ashbrook's first major TV role was portraying Bobby Briggs, Laura's boyfriend.
—Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Noah and Allie’s love story is told over decades, with three pairs of actors portraying the couple as teenagers, adults and older adults.
—Pamela Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Bishop is best known for portraying David Justice in Moneyball and for his standout roles in series such as BET’s Being Mary Jane, Netlfix’s The Imposters and CBS’ The Equalizer.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraying
Verb
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Readers praised the baked goods and coffee at this North Center spot, with one reader describing it as an approachable and welcoming all-day spot.—
Kayla Samoy,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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South Korean officials responded by describing Kim’s statement as meaningful progress in relations.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mandy Joye, an oceanographer specializing in microbiology at the University of Georgia, has spent decades characterizing microbes in hydrocarbon-rich habitats across the Gulf.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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But a number of architects and preservation groups provided their opinions of the 90,000 square foot project, generally characterizing it as way out of scale with the Executive Residence, the main part of the White House, while throwing off the symmetry of the grounds.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Even dramas depicting the city as an inferno of crime and decay added to its legend.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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The movie, like the novel, unfolds in two parts, following the events leading up to the murder, including Meursault’s relationship with Marie (Rebecca Marder) and friendship with Raymond (Pierre Lottin) and then depicting Meursault’s questioning and trial.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Texas Ranger introduces bodycam video Prosecutors have begun playing video of law enforcement interrogations of Tanner Horner, beginning with Texas Ranger Job Espinoza demanding that Horner tell him where Athena is and asking if the child was alive or dead when Horner left her.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
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Getting flexed into prime time, akin to Tuesday’s date in Boston, and playing in meaningful games in late March and early April is a signal Peterson’s vision is working.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The artist created devotional scenes representing the fourteen Stations of the Cross.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
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One friend even sent me an old LGBTQ fact sheet from their time representing Tahiti Tourisme.—
Rachel King,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The six-member girl group, currently performing as a five-member group, as member Manon is on hiatus, made their Coachella debut on Friday.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2026
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Several acts who have been plying their musical craft since the 1960s and are still performing well over half a century later are visiting Connecticut this week.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The many-years-sober Levinson drew from his experiences as an addict to shape Euphoria, but more important were his edgelord proclivities, which went from shading the story of how these high-schoolers lived to defining it.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
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Long before Tucker Carlson brought great replacement talk into prime time on Fox News, VDARE treated the concept as the defining issue of our time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The atlas will serve as a framework for interpreting human brain datasets on Amazon Web Services and the Gene Expression Omnibus.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Apr. 2026
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But interpreting the result without a specialist’s input can do more harm than good.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraying. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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