1
as in to describe
to give a representation or account of in words
the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness
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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
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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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Recent Examples of portray
Even before Burke brought Glinda to movie theaters, though, L. Frank Baum’s original novels already portrayed Glinda with a (pink) glimmer of sapphism.
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Samantha Riedel, Them, 6 Dec. 2024
As the movie portrays, on June 18, 1984, at 9:15pm at night, Berg pulled his car into his driveway, got out, and was shot dead by Order member Bruce Pierce.
—Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024
Opinions on Penny remain sharply divided: some portray the now 26-year-old architecture student as a brave protector, while others see him as a white vigilante who took the life of a troubled Black man in need of assistance.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
The High School Musical alum portrayed real-life serial killer Ted Bundy in Netflix's Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
—Lydia Price, People.com, 23 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for portray 
Samantha Riedel, Them, 6 Dec. 2024
As the movie portrays, on June 18, 1984, at 9:15pm at night, Berg pulled his car into his driveway, got out, and was shot dead by Order member Bruce Pierce.
—Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024
Opinions on Penny remain sharply divided: some portray the now 26-year-old architecture student as a brave protector, while others see him as a white vigilante who took the life of a troubled Black man in need of assistance.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
The High School Musical alum portrayed real-life serial killer Ted Bundy in Netflix's Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
—Lydia Price, People.com, 23 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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Author John Neihardt described Crazy Horse in his book Black Elk Speaks as a person of great modesty and reserve but who was generous to the poor, elderly, and children.Chip Bell, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
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Men ran off a porch, firing their own guns, as Givens described it to police and in an interview with the Journal Sentinel.John Diedrich, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Every object from Lindquist is made in their Rhode Island studio of artists and makers and is characterized by the timelessness and collaborative spirit of artisan craft.Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
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Beautiful Art Deco buildings, characterized by their streamlined elegance and bold geometry, have enchanted cities worldwide for nearly a century.Maya Chawla, Architectural Digest, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Without many other examples to look to, these young women depicted their real-life shenanigans (with a little help from producers, of course) for an audience that didn’t just laugh at them but with them.Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 13 Dec. 2024
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The image depicted a snail in a business suit, seemingly a reference to Gary the Snail from Spongebob Squarepants, a television show for children.Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Jamaal Jarrett, 6-5 and 350 pounds, played in 11 games this as a true sophomore for Georgia this season and recorded 3 tackles.Richard Davenport, arkansasonline.com, 16 Dec. 2024
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After Iowa State, UConn will play its last game before the holiday break against No. 7 USC at the XL Center on Saturday (8 p.m., FOX).Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In 2022, a lawyer representing Christe Chen's parents said their daughter's body was so badly damaged that she couldn't be embalmed for return to the U.S. and her remains were cremated.CBS News, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2024
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And the superlatives are running dry for Milenkovic, who represents the best £11million ($13.9m) Forest have spent in a long time.Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This can be performed in separate locations or between individuals in the same room using a speakerphone.Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
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Kamilah performed an original rap that hyped up Seacrest.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In front is a stage set that is a little hard to visually interpret.Jaron Lanier, WIRED, 10 Dec. 2024
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Traditional methods require women to interpret results on their own, often through cumbersome and intrusive processes.Janet Zhang, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Artificial intelligence models do much more than generate (occasionally accurate) text responses and (somewhat) realistic videos.Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 Dec. 2024
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Most people never do this exercise because seeing the gap between their current reality and their dreams feels painful.Jodie Cook, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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