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
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
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 future Clark describes isn’t science fiction.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
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Google’s post about this feature describes it as a way to help you tune hearing aids into audio broadcasts, but the technology has wider applications.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PCMAG,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The categorization of personal skill types above only characterizes a person’s knowledge and expertise.—
Ming-Chien Chyu,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Secretary of Education Linda McMahon characterizes the university protests as antisemitic harassment against Jewish students, alleging violation of Title IX of the Civil Rights Act.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacramento Bee,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The painting in question, Portrait of a Gentleman, his Daughter and a Servant, depicts a father clad in a fashionable black suit with a pleated collar.—
Francesca Aton,
ARTnews.com,
24 Mar. 2025
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The painting, which depicts an African prince, turned out to be a genuine Klimt.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The video shows soldiers shooting, apparently randomly, while another performs the customary reading of the Book of Esther.—
Samy Magdy,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2025
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The county performs about 14,000 inspections annually, with 97% of establishments passing, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Sacramento Bee.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacramento Bee,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The scientists believe the breakthrough will bring the world closer to hardware that not only detects the world but also interprets it, much like natural systems.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2025
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And the judicial branch interprets the law, settling disputes between Congress and the president.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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However, the support from the travelling United fans who stayed behind after the final whistle to clap the players and coach represents the faith in his process.—
Elias Burke,
The Athletic,
27 Dec. 2024
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For fans of the artist, famous for his collaborations with Nike as well as his modern art sculptures, this watch represents a rare opportunity to be a part of the art itself through wear.—
Blake Buettner,
Robb Report,
27 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Portrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrays. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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