1
as in to depict
to give a representation or account of in words
he tried to describe the dream he had last night as accurately as he could
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to tell
to give an oral or written account of in some detail
a biography of Washington that describes the decisive Battle of Yorktown at great length
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to characterize
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
how would you describe the Inupiat people you encountered in Alaska?
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of describe
The type of basketball Warren describes fits Houston under Kelvin Sampson.
—
Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2025
Prosecutors say that Acosta's murder 'can only be described as horrific' and say that Tanzi doesn't deserve mercy.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
Several Idaho Latinos described listening to Reggaeton music since childhood with family and friends.
—Carolyn Komatsoulis, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2025
The former Today host described how the aftermath of her diagnosis sparked a new wave of courage.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2025
Prosecutors say that Acosta's murder 'can only be described as horrific' and say that Tanzi doesn't deserve mercy.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
Several Idaho Latinos described listening to Reggaeton music since childhood with family and friends.
—Carolyn Komatsoulis, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2025
The former Today host described how the aftermath of her diagnosis sparked a new wave of courage.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describe
Verb
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To depict him as a victim of manipulation grants him an unearned absolution.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2025
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In another scene, gender dysphoria is depicted through Josephine wearing a campy, plastic sea monster mask, like something straight out of a ’50s B-movie.—
James Factora,
Them.,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Dougherty studies the impact of exercise on dementia risk, and told Health that losing weight can be one way to lower the risk of cognitive issues.—
Kristen Fischer,
Health,
9 Apr. 2025
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In Leech, a parasitic hive mind that infests people discovers another parasitic hive mind that infests people, competing for the same brain space (told in first-person from the POV of the former parasitic hive mind).—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The World Health Organization defines burnout as an occupational phenomenon which is characterized by feelings of energy depletion, increased mental distance from one's job, and reduced professional efficacy.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to characterize the sudden change in policy as part of a grand negotiating strategy.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In the 1998 classic — which saw Lindsay Lohan in her film debut — Quaid portrayed vineyard owner Nick Parker, the father of twins Hallie and Annie (both Lohan), who convince him to reunite with their mother Elizabeth (played by Natasha Richardson).—
Brendan Le,
People.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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The Oscar winner portrays a former president leading an investigation in the aftermath of a deadly national cyber attack.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Duke has an institutional climate commitment too, efforts include having over 300 climate and sustainability related classes and $3.7 million awarded in seed grants for research on climate.—
Claire Poole,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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Jennifer Ouellette Senior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The line defines short cruises as ranging from four to six nights and mid-length sailings as seven to nine nights, while longer cruises are 10 or more nights.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
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The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted, some of which have had little or no connection to Israel.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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As the graphic above illustrates, Galatasaray’s Napoli loanee can find space to shoot, even with limited service.—
Ali Rampling,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Her own work has illustrated how different brain regions activate when processing English or Chinese sentences because of their differing linguistic properties.—
Gayoung Lee,
Scientific American,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Her generosity is just one act of kindness and consideration that Sheff recounts to dispel the villainous reputation that has followed Ono though her life.—
Paul Liberatore,
Mercury News,
11 Apr. 2025
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With his characteristic humor, Lowry recounted the highlights of the day, particularly his struggles on the 17th hole.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describe. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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