1
as in describing
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 characterizing
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 depicting
to present a picture of
a landscape that portrays the scenery near the town where the painter grew up
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in playing
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 portraying
Farrell is known for often portraying the ultimate villain on screen, having starred as Lord Percival Graves in the 2016 hit Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and the Penguin in 2022's The Batman.
—
Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Katherine LaNasa won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for portraying the show’s ever-busy charge nurse, Dana Evans.
—Rosa Escandon, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Following a 12-day series of Israeli attacks on Iranian targets earlier this year, ongoing strikes in Gaza, and Israel's recent attack on Doha, Muslim leaders are increasingly portraying Israel as the destabilizing force across the region.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Before portraying the totally-over-it Nurse Harper in The Faculty, Salma Hayek was already a Hollywood darling thanks to her work in Desperado (1995) and From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), both of which were also helmed by The Faculty's director, Robert Rodriguez.
—Keith Langston, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
More recently, Louisa has gained recognition for portraying Marian Brook in HBO's period drama The Gilded Age.
—Francesca Gariano, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025
The museum's mission is to tell America's story by portraying people who shaped its history and culture.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
Hers is a supporting but impactful role, with Straus navigating the weight of portraying the daughter of a recovering alcoholic and aspiring performer.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
Foster, who has always been skilled at portraying male fragility in its many forms, is horrifying here (a compliment).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Katherine LaNasa won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for portraying the show’s ever-busy charge nurse, Dana Evans.
—Rosa Escandon, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Following a 12-day series of Israeli attacks on Iranian targets earlier this year, ongoing strikes in Gaza, and Israel's recent attack on Doha, Muslim leaders are increasingly portraying Israel as the destabilizing force across the region.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Before portraying the totally-over-it Nurse Harper in The Faculty, Salma Hayek was already a Hollywood darling thanks to her work in Desperado (1995) and From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), both of which were also helmed by The Faculty's director, Robert Rodriguez.
—Keith Langston, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
More recently, Louisa has gained recognition for portraying Marian Brook in HBO's period drama The Gilded Age.
—Francesca Gariano, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025
The museum's mission is to tell America's story by portraying people who shaped its history and culture.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
Hers is a supporting but impactful role, with Straus navigating the weight of portraying the daughter of a recovering alcoholic and aspiring performer.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
Foster, who has always been skilled at portraying male fragility in its many forms, is horrifying here (a compliment).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraying
Verb
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Soliman fled to the United States in 2014 on a visitor visa and later filed a petition for asylum, describing how security forces over the years had locked him up on false charges and tortured him with electrical shocks.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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The aging brick walls, high arched wooden ceiling and original decorative elements of the Renaissance-era building provided quite a contrast with speakers who were describing the latest in present and future technologies.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And, since Congress expects workers and employers to be (cough) creative when characterizing wages as tips to avoid paying taxes on otherwise taxable income, Treasury is authorized to issue additional guidance to prevent abuse.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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By contrast, Ka’iana and his family’s landing spot with Kamehameha’s base of power in Hawaii, as well as their foes, needed to be grounded in the land, while still doing the work of characterizing the different factions.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Even the wraparound mural in the hotel’s lobby nods to Ojai’s past, depicting figures such as Edward Libbey, the developer of the town’s downtown area, ceramicist Beatrice Wood and spiritual figure Jiddu Krishnamurti.—
Degen Pener,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Sep. 2025
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An immersive installation, the window display was unveiled with live models dressed in key items from the Moncler Genius collection with Enninful walking and interacting with the video panels depicting the mountain environment.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rookie Anthony Belton, playing right tackle for an injured Zach Tom, had a holding penalty that negated a 39-yard touchdown to Jayden Reed.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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But there is something to getting in a room and all playing music together, which is what that record was born from.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Midway, his son, Alexander Stirling Calder, posed three reclining Art Deco figures in a fountain, representing the three main waterways of the city.—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
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Some lobbying groups representing tech and semiconductor interests have also criticized the effort, with the chipmakers’ representatives urging congressional leadership to block the measure’s passage into law.—
Owen Tedford,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There are, however, key technical challenges such as generating on-demand, indistinguishable single photons with high efficiency, and the probabilistic nature of photonic gates (the electronic elements in a computer performing logic operations).—
Gil Press,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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And that receiver, now 33, is likewise performing as if age is just another number.—
Nate Atkins,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Crevoiserat is looking at the global handbag opportunity anew, defining the total addressable market not by how many people bought bags last year, but how many people could have.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
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Flexibility has also become a defining factor.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Think of it as a hospital’s central nervous system for information — continuously gathering signals, interpreting them, and routing critical insights where they are needed most.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Managing and interpreting the flood of data would be impossible without machine intelligence.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraying. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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