1
as in describes
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 characterizes
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 depicts
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 plays
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 portrays
The more than 4,000-page indictment includes an organization chart that portrays Imamoglu as the founder and head of the criminal group.
—
Reuters 17 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
In the video, Manilow portrays a character who sacrifices a traditional family life to pursue his dream as a performer.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2025
Based on a true story, Sweeney portrays Martin, who helped legitimize women’s boxing.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
Laura Marcus portrays Mollie Garfield, the youngest daughter of James and Lucretia.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025
And as for the pup who portrays Merv?
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Alongside the feature rollout, Walker also shared a teaser video that portrays Drea Nicole and Lex P — hosts of Pour Minds Podcast — as caterers at Walker’s wedding.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2025
Set during the Japanese colonial period — when Taiwan’s cypress industry thrived — the series portrays a world built by men yet seen through the eyes of a Japanese woman.
—Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
Its dreamlike visuals are the main event, as scene after scene of this film kaleidoscopically portrays its characters sliding in and out of the real and hallucinatory worlds.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Reuters 17 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
In the video, Manilow portrays a character who sacrifices a traditional family life to pursue his dream as a performer.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2025
Based on a true story, Sweeney portrays Martin, who helped legitimize women’s boxing.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
Laura Marcus portrays Mollie Garfield, the youngest daughter of James and Lucretia.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025
And as for the pup who portrays Merv?
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Alongside the feature rollout, Walker also shared a teaser video that portrays Drea Nicole and Lex P — hosts of Pour Minds Podcast — as caterers at Walker’s wedding.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2025
Set during the Japanese colonial period — when Taiwan’s cypress industry thrived — the series portrays a world built by men yet seen through the eyes of a Japanese woman.
—Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
Its dreamlike visuals are the main event, as scene after scene of this film kaleidoscopically portrays its characters sliding in and out of the real and hallucinatory worlds.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrays
Verb
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And, at the end of each chapter, the book describes how the evidence on each phenomenon has evolved and strengthened in the years since the original columns.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
11 Nov. 2025
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Miller's nomination describes her as having maintained great fortitude and excellent disposition, talent and character.—
Kenya Anderson,
Nashville Tennessean,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The next step was to search for the higher-energy release of energy that stellar physicists believe characterizes the frequent CMEs from young stars.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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Protest organizers have trained thousands in de-escalation techniques and have promised the day will be safe, even as political rhetoric characterizes demonstrators as being aligned with terrorist forces.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One image depicts Taipei, home to the island’s government offices and military headquarters.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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The second is Nouvelle Vague, which giddily depicts the making of the French New Wave classic Breathless; by the end, the entire cast and crew have been driven up the wall by their mercurial director, Jean-Luc Godard (Guillaume Marbeck).—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The military plays only an advisory role in the American system, giving input to the president’s deliberations but not otherwise independently adjudicating whether his or her decision is wise.—
Peter D. Feaver,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
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Ahead of Sunday’s premiere, Randolph and actress Ali Larter, who plays Ainsley’s mother on the show, spoke to the Star-Telegram about the Norris family dynamic going into season 2.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In the clip, bassist Lewis Maynard performs a dance routine—specifically choreographed for the song by Bullyache—in sparkly leggings in front of a dark curtain.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
11 Nov. 2025
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One couple performs the first half of a song and a second couple completes the second half.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Scream With Me expands on this argument with its analysis of The Exorcist, a movie that Johnson interprets as a parable about physical abuse; its male demon torments and beats a single working mother and her child.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
30 Oct. 2025
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About the Technology The new AI engine is designed to automatically interprets goals, constraints, and deliverables to generate structured project plans — complete with milestones, dependencies, and timelines.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Although the posthumous project has no title or release date yet, its very existence represents a new chapter to come in the crooner’s legacy.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
11 Nov. 2025
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Excel represents roughly 750 clients, with deep rosters in baseball, basketball, football and golf.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrays. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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