1
as in to describe
to give a representation or account of in words
the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to characterize
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 to depict
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 to play
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 portray
Conrad, you are nominated for portraying Abraham Lincoln.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 28 May 2025
Clint Eastwood starred in the 1979 telling, which portrayed the unbelievably elaborate lengths the prisoners took to break out.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Longtime creative partners Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg often co-write and co-direct and the show centers around a hapless head of the fictional Continental Studios portrayed by Rogen and surrounded by a band of equally myopic execs.
—Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
For voice actors who previously portrayed Darth Vader in video games, the Fortnite feature starkly illustrates how AI voice synthesis could reshape their profession.
—Ashley Belanger – May 19, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for portray
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 28 May 2025
Clint Eastwood starred in the 1979 telling, which portrayed the unbelievably elaborate lengths the prisoners took to break out.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Longtime creative partners Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg often co-write and co-direct and the show centers around a hapless head of the fictional Continental Studios portrayed by Rogen and surrounded by a band of equally myopic execs.
—Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
For voice actors who previously portrayed Darth Vader in video games, the Fortnite feature starkly illustrates how AI voice synthesis could reshape their profession.
—Ashley Belanger – May 19, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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Fans on the internet have since taken this one little detail and ran with it, creating parody videos of the moment Joel was described to Abby.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
25 May 2025
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In this, the first of a series of three excerpts that will run in The Courant beginning today and for the next two Sundays, Calhoun describes his days with Kemba Walker, who led the Huskies to their third championship in 2011.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
25 May 2025
Verb
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The outline of the initial report — a contract extension for Crow-Armstrong potentially worth around $75 million — has been characterized as inaccurate.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Scott, a former two-term governor of the Sunshine State and no stranger to working with the agency while battling major hurricanes, characterized FEMA as rife with fraud that does little more than write checks for post-disaster cleanup.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
26 May 2025
Verb
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Visitors are greeted with a diorama depicting children and dinosaurs interacting peacefully in the Garden of Eden.—
Peter Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2025
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Banners depicting hometown heroes adorn the streets of Westminster in time for Memorial Day, honoring those who served in the U.S. military, including some who gave their lives.—
Thomas Goodwin Smith,
Baltimore Sun,
25 May 2025
Verb
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Both Earps and Hampton have played a very similar number of minutes and faced a very similar number of shots, but Earps’ shot-stopping has not been as strong, conceding 1.6 goals more than expected, based on the quality of shots faced.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Baty plays second base on days when Vientos starts at the hot corner, and Vientos gets DH days to get Baty at third.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Morello isn’t only representing musicians in this battle.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
27 May 2025
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The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which helped represent Apache Stronghold in the legal proceedings, also vowed to continue to work to ensure Oak Flat remains preserved for worshippers.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
27 May 2025
Verb
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But this year, the original cast members of Hamilton are not throwing away their shot to perform at Broadway’s biggest night.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
3 June 2025
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Also in New York City, Uma Thurman brings her daughter Luna to the opening night of Eurydice, while Ciara performs at King's Cross in London.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Collins explains why they haven’t been given their due and their contributions have been interpreted as opposition to the current state of the workplace.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Meanwhile, social media commenters are interpreting the shift as a sign of the times.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 June 2025
Verb
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The pair's journey on Teen Mom has shown what a year of struggling to get pregnant did to Cheyenne and Zach, both as individuals and as a married couple.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
23 May 2025
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But then, proving the impossible possible is what these films have done from the start.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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