1
as in to depict
to give a representation or account of in words
he tried to describe the dream he had last night as accurately as he could
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to tell
to give an oral or written account of in some detail
a biography of Washington that describes the decisive Battle of Yorktown at great length
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to characterize
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
how would you describe the Inupiat people you encountered in Alaska?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of describe
Ukraine’s frequent attacks inside Russia — described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a 40-day blitz — have especially targeted oil refineries, causing a fuel crisis that has frustrated Russians already feeling the war’s economic toll.
—
Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
On April 8, the broad S&P 500 index finished that session below the 5,000 mark and within inches of the threshold for a bear market, a term used to describe a 20% drawdown from a recent high.
—
Alex Harring,luke Fountain,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
The companies that win long-term engagement will be the ones that stop describing trust and start proving it.
—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
These stories are everywhere on this map of American ancestry, which shows how people described their backgrounds to the Census Bureau.
—
Albert Sun,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
On April 8, the broad S&P 500 index finished that session below the 5,000 mark and within inches of the threshold for a bear market, a term used to describe a 20% drawdown from a recent high.
—
Alex Harring,luke Fountain,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
The companies that win long-term engagement will be the ones that stop describing trust and start proving it.
—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
These stories are everywhere on this map of American ancestry, which shows how people described their backgrounds to the Census Bureau.
—
Albert Sun,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describe
Verb
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The world drew heavily from the paintings of fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta, who depicted scenes of barbarians and beasts in conflict, of pulp fiction heroes, femme fatales, and fierce warrior women.
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Another star at a similar distance from Earth is Bellatrix, which shines at the left shoulder of the celestial hunter depicted in the constellation Orion.
Verb
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During Murdaugh’s first status hearing on Monday, June 29, Judge Debra McCaslin did not rule on the DNA evidence, telling defense attorneys to clarify if the sample was viable.
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My parents tell stories about me sleeping through loud construction, alarms, and heavy knocks on my bedroom door.
Verb
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To characterize the new mode, Kyle Uckert, SHERLOC’s deputy principal investigator at NASA’s JPL, and his colleagues collected spectra from spare flight optics in their own lab.
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The standoff forces the platform to weigh compliance against a potentially expanding pattern of government control over social media — a tension that has also characterized India’s years-long friction with X over content-takedown orders.
Verb
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Matty Matheson, who portrays Neil Fak and serves as the show’s culinary consultant, initially believed taking props was off limits after receiving an email asking to refrain from removing anything from the show.
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Winkler portrayed his iconic character for all 11 seasons of the ABC sitcom, which originally aired from 1974 to 1984.
Verb
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Fable 5 included guardrails that prevented the AI system from assisting with a wide range of cybersecurity- and biology-related tasks.
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Unlike genetic or age related decline, this cause is entirely preventable at any age.
Verb
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Victor Willis, Village People’s lead singer, dies Victor Willis, lead singer of the Village People who helped define the disco movement of the 1970s, died June 30.
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Instead of looking only for escapements or technical innovation, Newman encourages appreciation of cases, dials, proportions, engraving, and overall design—the same qualities that define today’s most desirable independent watches.
Verb
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The Pew report illustrates why homeownership is increasingly the province of older Americans, and why first-time buyers seem like a vanishing breed.
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The design and materials of devices such as bone saws, fleams and scarifacators – used to bleed veins and skin surfaces – illustrate the close affinity of humans with other animals.
Verb
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Oswaks recounted moments from the event in his interview with the outlet, noting how the pro-Palestinian protesters vastly outnumbered them that day.
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Harry recounted his and Markle’s last visit to his mother’s grave in his memoir, Spare.
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describe. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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