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
Shot with both lyrical intimacy and bursts of vibrant energy, the film portrays the quiet revolution of a boy refusing to surrender his identity.
—
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
Norris portrays the cunning and relentless Chief Dennison, with Tripp as Liz Bradley, a border patrol agent with a true-north moral compass, in her first major film role.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
Robin Weigert portrays Enid Watkins, the mother of Gein’s almost-fianceé, Adeline Watkins.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Though the television show portrays Gein as a character so eccentric that townspeople don't feel comfortable sharing a nearby seat with him at the local diner, Gein was enigmatic but trustworthy to the locals in his younger years.
—Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The show portrays Watkins introducing Gein to the story of Ilse Koch, a real-life Holocaust war criminal.
—Jr Radcliffe, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Watching The Smashing Machine was impactful in a variety of ways for Mark Kerr, the UFC Hall of Famer whom Dwayne Johnson portrays in the new A24 movie.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
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
The actress that portrays Vanessa, Lauren Buglioli, has been working steadily since the mid-2010s, with guest appearances on series like FBI and the Dynasty reboot (which also featured Goings), and films like Jessica Lange's The Great Lillian Hall and the horror anthology film Horror Noire.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
Norris portrays the cunning and relentless Chief Dennison, with Tripp as Liz Bradley, a border patrol agent with a true-north moral compass, in her first major film role.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
Robin Weigert portrays Enid Watkins, the mother of Gein’s almost-fianceé, Adeline Watkins.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Though the television show portrays Gein as a character so eccentric that townspeople don't feel comfortable sharing a nearby seat with him at the local diner, Gein was enigmatic but trustworthy to the locals in his younger years.
—Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The show portrays Watkins introducing Gein to the story of Ilse Koch, a real-life Holocaust war criminal.
—Jr Radcliffe, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Watching The Smashing Machine was impactful in a variety of ways for Mark Kerr, the UFC Hall of Famer whom Dwayne Johnson portrays in the new A24 movie.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
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
The actress that portrays Vanessa, Lauren Buglioli, has been working steadily since the mid-2010s, with guest appearances on series like FBI and the Dynasty reboot (which also featured Goings), and films like Jessica Lange's The Great Lillian Hall and the horror anthology film Horror Noire.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrays
Verb
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That is exactly how Google describes the tool in Gemini.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Tomlinson, who went on to spend parts of four seasons in the NHL, describes Sullivan as a team-first, selfless player.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the days following the podcast appearance, the author shared a parody by British satirist Intel Lady that characterizes Watson as contradictory and fame-hungry.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Sep. 2025
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But what characterizes this style?—
Irene Reyes,
Glamour,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His murders might be long in the past, but as the episode depicts, his atrocious acts appeared to inspire other serial killers, both real and fictional.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
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The show more or less depicts this as a figment of Gein's imagination, which is good, since there's no evidence that Gein ever worked with the FBI.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the show, Addison Rae plays one of Gein's victims — Evelyn Hartley, a bright, small-town babysitter whose mysterious disappearance becomes a key thread in the series.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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The designer has made the space feel like home down to the finishing touches such as the custom doorbell that plays a message from Beckham.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Dyson Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Deals The Dyson V8 is the brand's base model but still performs exceptionally well.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Indeed, the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro performs 13 different functions, including proofing and dehydrating, and can even accommodate an entire 14-pound turkey.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Students will work collaboratively to analyze historical materials and compose a short article that interprets one of these topics through a modern critical lens.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Oct. 2025
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Muscle is the biggest consumer of energy, which the body interprets as a threat.—
Bryant Stamford,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Presented by Live Nation, the tour represents Doja’s biggest run yet and her first time headlining across multiple regions, including Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Latin America.—
Jenzia Burgos,
StyleCaster,
7 Oct. 2025
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Everyone knows that Domestic Distribution is the locomotive that drives the theatrical train, and this team represents the proud history of Paramount Pictures in all the best ways possible, earning the respect of exhibitors and other distributors alike.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrays. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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