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
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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
Lenz portrays Rebecca Clarke, a recent widow who travels with her 11-year-old daughter Sarah (Morgan) to the Western Canadian frontier to escape a threat back home and make a fresh start following her husband’s death.
—
Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Sessa stars alongside Emilia Jones, who plays a former high school acquaintance, as well as Dagmara Domińczyk, Rich Sommer, comedian Stavros Halkias, Leo Woodall, and Antonio Banderas, who portrays the chef at the restaurant where Bourdain finds work.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
For the cover of the May 11 & 18, 2026, special issue, themed around America’s 250th birthday, the cartoonist Barry Blitt portrays George Washington, the country’s first President, caught in the spirit of the moment.
—Françoise Mouly, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
As Alamo’s right-hand man, Darrell Britt-Gibson portrays Bishop with a lurking, enigmatic energy that personifies danger and can put the fear of God into anyone who dares challenge his boss.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
Through lengthy monologues, intense fight sequences, and the relentless malleability of both his body and voice, Brody vividly portrays Yarris from a small child to a middle-aged man.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
In the early scenes, the film portrays Nuremberg from the sky, the streets and steeples emerging from the clouds.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Jaafar Jackson, the singer’s real-life nephew, portrays Michael Jackson in his acting debut, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long as parents, Joe and Katherine.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
But the story never leaves us with a sense that anything is incomplete, as Shear eloquently portrays the ways that near-misses can still feel like cataclysmic life events.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025
Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Sessa stars alongside Emilia Jones, who plays a former high school acquaintance, as well as Dagmara Domińczyk, Rich Sommer, comedian Stavros Halkias, Leo Woodall, and Antonio Banderas, who portrays the chef at the restaurant where Bourdain finds work.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
For the cover of the May 11 & 18, 2026, special issue, themed around America’s 250th birthday, the cartoonist Barry Blitt portrays George Washington, the country’s first President, caught in the spirit of the moment.
—Françoise Mouly, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
As Alamo’s right-hand man, Darrell Britt-Gibson portrays Bishop with a lurking, enigmatic energy that personifies danger and can put the fear of God into anyone who dares challenge his boss.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
Through lengthy monologues, intense fight sequences, and the relentless malleability of both his body and voice, Brody vividly portrays Yarris from a small child to a middle-aged man.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
In the early scenes, the film portrays Nuremberg from the sky, the streets and steeples emerging from the clouds.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Jaafar Jackson, the singer’s real-life nephew, portrays Michael Jackson in his acting debut, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long as parents, Joe and Katherine.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
But the story never leaves us with a sense that anything is incomplete, as Shear eloquently portrays the ways that near-misses can still feel like cataclysmic life events.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrays
Verb
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And that describes this Panthers offense to a tee.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
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The geological formation has been studied for decades, and that long record of scientific interest shapes how the company describes its role.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But no such device exists for the way Trump characterizes it — at least not when math is done correctly.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
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The author characterizes Huntington Beach itself as an inherently self-aggrandizing, wealthy coastal enclave unrepresentative of broader California concerns, dismissing the notion that this affluent beach town should serve as a model for statewide governance or the state’s future direction.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That begins with a reasonably effective prologue that depicts the fall of her childhood home, Edenia, and gives Kitana’s origin a more solid foundation than any of her cast mates.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 May 2026
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If The House is Burning captured the joie de vivre of reclaiming your life after years of disassociation and detachment, IT’S BEEN AWFUL depicts the excruciating process of living with your eyes wide open, of holding up the mirror to your face and not looking away.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Matt Damon plays a Navy admiral in a submarine, who’s getting updates from his team on a terrifying creature in the murky waters.—
Rima Parikh,
Vulture,
10 May 2026
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The only loss in that streak was against The Academy of Central Florida — which plays outside the FHSAA.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Proper egg storage is the difference between an ingredient that performs beautifully and one that poses a genuine food safety risk.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
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George Clinton performs onstage at the 2026 Grammy Hall Of Fame gala held at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles on May 8.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Verb
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In an oppositional reading, the reader understands the dominant ideology expressed in the text but rejects it and interprets the text in an alternative way.—
Shepherd Mpofu,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
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Like personal numerology, address numerology interprets the numbers in your address to uncover the vibrations of your living environment.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This distribution represents 6% year-over-year growth.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
10 May 2026
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The article suggests the expansive field represents a meaningful shift in political power from the historically dominant San Francisco Bay Area to Southern California, reflecting broader changes in the state’s political landscape.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrays. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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