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
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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
In the play, Jim Hacker — like Boris Johnson before him — is portrayed as having been for and against Brexit simultaneously, ultimately voting against it and regretting it deeply.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
When Reconstruction ended, schoolbooks that did not portray the South’s Lost Cause as a war of valor were banned.
—Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
The James Bond thing is considered to be a long shot, as Bond has never been portrayed by an American actor before.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Mar. 2026
Fans last saw Dane portraying a firefighter coming to terms with an ALS diagnosis on Brilliant Minds last November.
—Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portray
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
When Reconstruction ended, schoolbooks that did not portray the South’s Lost Cause as a war of valor were banned.
—Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
The James Bond thing is considered to be a long shot, as Bond has never been portrayed by an American actor before.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Mar. 2026
Fans last saw Dane portraying a firefighter coming to terms with an ALS diagnosis on Brilliant Minds last November.
—Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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Rabbi Irwin Kula, the panel’s moderator, asked the participants to describe their biggest fear or nightmare.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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In 2024, Contra Costa County investigators searched a ravine and found the ladder Matthew Muller described using to climb into a family's house weeks after the March 2015 attack on Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Afterward, a student in the audience complained to his parents that, at the event, the deaths of Palestinian civilians had been characterized as collateral damage—a regrettable but unavoidable consequence of the battle against Hamas.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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That message, closely aligned with how Trump has characterized his own legal battles, was also front and center in Paxton’s remarks at the Ronald Reagan dinner Friday night.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Such engravings, which depict the wackily maximalist style à la mode, including oodles of feathers and furbelows, were, in essence, early precursors to modern fashion magazines.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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The formation assembled 394 feet above the river and depicted some of the world’s most iconic TV shows, sports, and movies, including Harry Potter, Batman, Superman, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and The White Lotus.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Jack Plummer, who is now playing for the United Football League’s Orlando Storm, spent the bulk of the 2024 season on the practice squad as a third arm.—
Mike Kaye
April 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
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Emma D'Arcy landed an Emmy nomination playing an older version of Rhaenyra later in Season 1 and stayed the lead in Season 2, though Alcock also reprised her role as a guest star.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For its 310 students and more than 80 children from infants to toddlers, Greenland represents a second chance at school that is free from stigma and, experts say, a model for how young mothers can be reintegrated into education.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Primarily considered a test mission, Artemis II could represent a giant step toward NASA's goal of returning astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo missions came to an end in 1972.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But research also suggests that slower walking performed over a longer duration may initially produce greater total fat loss in overweight individuals than faster walking performed for shorter periods.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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But that’s exactly how the night climaxed on Friday (March 27) when the uncanny Argentine duo CA7RIEL y Paco Amoroso took over Canvas on 10th in Chelsea, New York to perform their electrifying new album, Free Spirits, for the first time.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But no one reading the book will come away with the sense that studies are often contested, or that many of the findings of social psychology and economics remain unsettled, or that results can be interpreted in many ways.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Or they could be interpreted as beams of energy that radiate within and from the more timeless objects Acosta depicts on canvas.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After recently signing a standard NBA contract after starting the season on a two-way deal, Cain did a little bit of everything with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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After the pair were arrested, Haghighi also co-signed a letter of protest—as did Panahi, who, in turn, was arrested and imprisoned.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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