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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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
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of portray
Instead, the lyrics refer to Willy Wonka, whom Chalamet portrays Wonka.
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Glamour, 6 Jan. 2025
Walton says that portraying Candide is a singular opportunity and especially with its challenges.
—Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025
Ariana Grande, who portrays Glinda, was up for Best Supporting Actress in a Film, but lost to Zoe Saldana’s performance in Emilia Pérez.
—Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 5 Jan. 2025
Marvel Studios conducted a worldwide search to find the actor who would portray its famous wall-crawling superhero.
—Nicolas Vega, CNBC, 4 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for portray 
Glamour, 6 Jan. 2025
Walton says that portraying Candide is a singular opportunity and especially with its challenges.
—Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025
Ariana Grande, who portrays Glinda, was up for Best Supporting Actress in a Film, but lost to Zoe Saldana’s performance in Emilia Pérez.
—Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 5 Jan. 2025
Marvel Studios conducted a worldwide search to find the actor who would portray its famous wall-crawling superhero.
—Nicolas Vega, CNBC, 4 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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Beyond the film program, another high point of Nordic Film Market’s 26th edition will be the launch Jan. 29 of the Nostradamus Collective, described by Kullengård as an extension of the industry reference Norstradamus report, disclosed annually at the Cannes Film Festival.Annika Pham, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
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But a new debut novel by a celebrated Palestinian American playwright responds in a startling way to the burden that Hammad described—by shrugging it off.Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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For example, an interpretive portrait of Abraham Lincoln by SCAD alum Marcus Kenney presides over the kitchen, the largest room in the house characterized by tidy black-and-white colorblocking and right angles aplenty, a departure from the seeming spontaneity of the rest of the house.Leilani Marie Labong, Architectural Digest, 15 Jan. 2025
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Low-oxalate diets have been considered in treating vulvodynia, a chronic condition characterized by pain or discomfort in the vulva.Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Murals depicting stories from Hindu scriptures are painted on the city walls.Fox News, Fox News, 13 Jan. 2025
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John McPhee, in an essay published in 2009, depicted fact checking as a pursuit bordering on mania.Fergus McIntosh, The New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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After launching with a preview performance in Pittsburgh on March 12, the upcoming North American tour will officially open March 15 in Austin, where the show plays in partnership with South by Southwest.Gordon Cox, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025
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Osaka was better than Garcia, who was playing her first match after a three-month mental health break.Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
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This initiative represents a significant shift for TESSAN, moving beyond its reputation for practical travel adapters to championing exploration and emotional connection.Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
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This means that today's versions represent their least capable state.Timothy Papandreou, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Rod Wave Rod Wave will perform at the American Airlines Center in Dallas as part of his Last Lap tour on Saturday, January 18.Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Jan. 2025
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With this capability, Schaeffler can perform returnable account matching with the help of machine learning models and automate the matching process by activating line-item matching.Forbes, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The law has traditionally been interpreted to mean that the election is required in both initiation methods, according to education lawyers consulted by the Star-Telegram.Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Jan. 2025
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Warm Up Wear The Row interpreted sporty style in their typically subtle way, mixing an oversized black windbreaker with a white tee and slouchy cream trousers.Christina Holevas, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement According to Amika Mota, who worked as a firefighter in California’s Chowchilla prison before her release in 2015, during major fires prisoners do a lot of preventive and protective work, like clearing brush or cutting gaps in the vegetation to slow the spread of flames.Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
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To be of service to our readers, Ars has done the work of looking through hundreds of such items presented at the 2025 Consumer Electronic Show, pulling out the most bizarre, unnecessary, and head-scratching items.Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 11 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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