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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portrays
Fung portrays the film’s male protagonist – a creator pushed to the edge by desperation and obsession – while Chau and Wu play his wife and former lover respectively.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 May 2026
Holmgren’s world, the one Kenrich Williams portrays as well as the one reality relays, seems mostly jolly.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 27 May 2026
As Flint Marko/Sandman Jack Huston portrays the popular Spidey villain Sandman, also known as Flint Marko.
—Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Reinsve, 38, portrays a therapist whom Ejiofor tries to explain the area to.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026
In the series, Bardem portrays Max Cady, the unpredictable, charismatic ex-con embodied in 1991's Cape Fear by De Niro, who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in the film.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 May 2026
Paul McCartney sat down with Paul Mescal, the actor who portrays him in the upcoming films about the Beatles, to discuss his new album.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2026
Agnieszka Kurant portrays the scary and absurd business of attempting to predict—and control—our world using data, logic, and algorithms.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 May 2026
Alongside Mike Dutkewych’s smart and sensitive liner notes, the music portrays Lucas as a preternaturally gifted tunesmith hamstrung by his ability to commit to a single sound or path.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 23 May 2026
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 May 2026
Holmgren’s world, the one Kenrich Williams portrays as well as the one reality relays, seems mostly jolly.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 27 May 2026
As Flint Marko/Sandman Jack Huston portrays the popular Spidey villain Sandman, also known as Flint Marko.
—Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Reinsve, 38, portrays a therapist whom Ejiofor tries to explain the area to.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026
In the series, Bardem portrays Max Cady, the unpredictable, charismatic ex-con embodied in 1991's Cape Fear by De Niro, who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in the film.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 May 2026
Paul McCartney sat down with Paul Mescal, the actor who portrays him in the upcoming films about the Beatles, to discuss his new album.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2026
Agnieszka Kurant portrays the scary and absurd business of attempting to predict—and control—our world using data, logic, and algorithms.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 May 2026
Alongside Mike Dutkewych’s smart and sensitive liner notes, the music portrays Lucas as a preternaturally gifted tunesmith hamstrung by his ability to commit to a single sound or path.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrays
Verb
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But Guidara describes how hospitality can be intentionally embedded into every element of the dining experience — from the greeting at the door to the pacing of a meal.—
Iyesatta Massaquoi Emeli,
STAT,
2 June 2026
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Waymo describes it as a more expansive cabin with extra legroom, a flat floor and a low step-in height.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
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The Padres scored in the seventh because of another thing that characterizes the young Nationals, who are 28-28.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
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The conflation of multimodality and hypertextuality has been labeled hypermodality by researchers in order to highlight that the dynamic web of connectivity that characterizes hypertexts goes beyond monomodal texts with recurrent and recognizable characteristics.—
Carmen Daniela Maier,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The movie depicts how a now-obsolete method of weather forecasting that was popular in the United States leading up to World War II was replaced by more modern methods that were taking root in Europe at the time.—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
27 May 2026
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Tatis depicts the investment contract as a loan or an income-share agreement, which California recognizes as a consumer loan.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
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At sunset its Amina Muaddi slingbacks, when honeymooners head to the bar to make the most of the martini shots while a could-be-a-model DJ plays cool and breezy beats in a midriff-bearing top.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
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And the company’s focus on wellness plays well in a state that was at the center of the health food movement in the 1960s and 1970s.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
Verb
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In other words, Gatsby wants to be the app and service layer that connects customers with whichever humanoid robot performs best.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
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Charlie Puth performs with Jimmy Fallon at Madison Square Garden in New York City on May 29, as part of the singer's Whatever's Clever!—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Levels operates more like a metabolic health platform that interprets CGM data alongside other inputs.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
27 May 2026
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Scientists believe the effect is caused by how the human brain interprets distance and scale.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The food distribution center represents an investment of more than $300 million, a significant chunk of the $5 billion in capital spending Target plans to make this year.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
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This time, however, the military action represents something new.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrays. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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