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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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
Hunter Schafer portrays Rue’s former girlfriend Jules in Euphoria, but in real life, the actress and model is single.
—
Katie Mannion, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
On the other side of Lexington Green, Mike Graves also portrays a Revolutionary War figure, albeit one wearing red.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
Tom Holland portrays his son Telemachus while Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal round out the ensemble.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 15 Apr. 2026
Colman Domingo and Nia Long play the singer’s parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, while Miles Teller portrays lawyer John Branca.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
Additionally, Kiana Madeira boarded the series as Malcolm's girlfriend, Tristan, while Keeley Karsten portrays the couple's daughter, Leah.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
The author portrays Huntington Beach’s conservative leadership as opportunistic political actors seeking to weaponize local grievances for statewide power, characterizing their efforts to expand influence as built on cultural controversies rather than substantive governance achievements.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 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
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
Katie Mannion, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
On the other side of Lexington Green, Mike Graves also portrays a Revolutionary War figure, albeit one wearing red.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
Tom Holland portrays his son Telemachus while Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal round out the ensemble.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 15 Apr. 2026
Colman Domingo and Nia Long play the singer’s parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, while Miles Teller portrays lawyer John Branca.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
Additionally, Kiana Madeira boarded the series as Malcolm's girlfriend, Tristan, while Keeley Karsten portrays the couple's daughter, Leah.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
The author portrays Huntington Beach’s conservative leadership as opportunistic political actors seeking to weaponize local grievances for statewide power, characterizing their efforts to expand influence as built on cultural controversies rather than substantive governance achievements.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 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
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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The owner of concert promoter Brew Ha Ha Productions describes himself as a libertarian-leaning conservative who built his career in San Juan Capistrano.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Rostec describes the jet as a record-holder in enemy aircraft interceptions.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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But the decision also characterizes the law as viewpoint discrimination (specifically here the desire to change someone’s LGBTQ+ identity), which is almost never allowed under the First Amendment.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One, largely blurred, depicts officers rendering aid to Mays.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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The most disturbing tableau depicts Cassie as a baby, sucking on a pacifier and spreading her legs.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Aasif Mandvi and Christopher Fitzgerald barely register as Jane and Julia’s oblivious husbands, while Consuelos, who plays Maurice as a suave cuckolder with a dodgy European accent, should probably stick to daytime TV.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
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Experts say that’s because magnesium plays an important role in our health.—
Anahad O’Connor,
Washington Post,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Attorney-client privilege typically shields most details about the legal work each timekeeper performs, but the Tribune was able to obtain other billing and payment data from the city under Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
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Hathaway performs several original songs by Jack Antonoff, Charli XCX and FKA Twigs.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Here, chef Ishan interprets familiar flavours afresh, turning guavas into a delicate cheesecake, jackfruit into nihari, and charred melon into carpaccio.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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One agent interprets the request.—
Anita Beveridge-Raffo,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Local 217 and a vice president of its international group, said the union represents about 1,000 workers in the solidly Democratic 1st Congressional District of Hartford and 26 other communities.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
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The remarkable feat represents a big stride for China in its technological rivalry with the US, which has thus far boasted more sophisticated humanoid models.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrays. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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