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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portray
Naturally, Brody feels a great responsibility and weight in portraying Yarris, 64, who has come to see the show multiple times.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
In the competition for customers, Kalshi is seeking to portray itself as the responsible, clean actor.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Most challengingly, thousands of extras portraying the Persian-Sasanian army were brought in from Georgia.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
In the early scenes, the film portrays Nuremberg from the sky, the streets and steeples emerging from the clouds.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portray
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
In the competition for customers, Kalshi is seeking to portray itself as the responsible, clean actor.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Most challengingly, thousands of extras portraying the Persian-Sasanian army were brought in from Georgia.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
In the early scenes, the film portrays Nuremberg from the sky, the streets and steeples emerging from the clouds.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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Drinking that water can cause both acute illness (like the abdominal pain that Stillman describes) and chronic illness.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Most of the monarchies in Europe are really described by their greatest and most ardent supporters.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
Verb
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And yet, when Obama won the Presidency, Bush greeted him with graceful comments of welcome, and then embarked on a retirement characterized by reticence.—
Peter Slevin,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The distance the field has traveled since −and has yet to go − represents a remarkable and very American medical journey, characterized by big ideas, big risks, perserverence and issues of fairness and eye-popping prices.—
Karen Weintraub,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Verb
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The 56-year-old former TV personality denied that, telling Vogue the mermaid-like sculpture is meant to depict Freyja, the Norse goddess of love, fertility, war and gold.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
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Junkanoo revelry is dedicated to the dead, and here Munroe commemorates Beadle through a series of paintings depicting a memorial procession based on photographs by the Bahamian photographer Jackson Petit, as well as through Beadle’s material legacy.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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That was the game Towns played.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Mia Arguelles, who typically plays midfielder, filled in at goalkeeper due to injuries and made two saves for Andrew (7-6-1, 3-2).—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Any changes to the policy will probably draw strong challenges from within the LAPD and the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the powerful union that represents the city’s rank-and-file officers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Instead, this latest effort represents the incremental progress essential to experimental science, where errors and uncertainties are identified and quantified, and future generations of scientists can build upon it.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
My plan was all an act, or more, an enactment of an act that would never be performed.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
After every race, his team analyzes a litany of granular data points, including which skis performed best on what kind of snow and which garments correlated with faster results.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
That said, take a broad look at your savings account options now and don't dismiss the benefits banks with local branches can still offer, as not all institutions will interpret today's interest rate climate in the same way.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
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Put simply, guests are expected to interpret the evening's theme through their attire.—
Lindsay Kimble,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Should Congress do more to hold the president accountable?—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Wins and losses in this league for starters are highly dependent on a lot of other guys doing their jobs as well.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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