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
Relevance
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
The listing describes a private backyard with a pool, upgraded decking, and enough space to entertain or relax.
—
Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Feb. 2026
Palestinians who returned to Gaza in the first few days of the crossing's operation described hours of delays and invasive searches by Israeli authorities and Abu Shabab.
—CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
Authorities have described the case as a possible kidnapping or abduction, and there have been reports of ransom notes.
—Dana Griffin, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Despite the painstaking work, Franco describes the transformation as deeply satisfying.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Feb. 2026
Palestinians who returned to Gaza in the first few days of the crossing's operation described hours of delays and invasive searches by Israeli authorities and Abu Shabab.
—CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
Authorities have described the case as a possible kidnapping or abduction, and there have been reports of ransom notes.
—Dana Griffin, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Despite the painstaking work, Franco describes the transformation as deeply satisfying.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describe
Verb
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The incident occurred just hours before dozens of flyers depicting former Prince Andrew were briefly scattered around the village of Dedham ahead of the royal visit, The Times reported.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Our family photographs depicted us in beauty, power and wholeness, rejecting every image that attempted to relegate us to a stereotype.—
Anya Sesay,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The singer then materialized and handed the boy one of his Grammys and told him always to believe in himself.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Crashes, luge athletes will tell you, are part of the game, a necessary teaching tool that helps young lugers learn how to navigate sliding on their back down an icy course, sometimes faster than 90 miles per hour.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Kam and O'Shea exceeded all expectations with a performance characterized by spectacular lifts and fierce musicality.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Lots of Gray Tones Morris is eager to move past all of the gray tones that have characterized homes in recent years.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The image became a meme, repeatedly used to portray Miliband as awkward.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
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Barer will portray Zoe Gutierrez, a character featured in Holly Brickley’s 2023 novel, which the film is based on.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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They’re related, sure, but key differences exist based on the inventory and distribution.—
Jon Wilner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
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The driver and the child’s family are not related, police said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What makes the current moment so striking is that the drift now appears to be reversing, cautiously and without the overexuberance that defined the post-WTO era.—
Dewardric L. McNeal,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
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Yet the defining challenges of our era do not respect borders.—
Alan H.H. Fleischmann,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Other experts said the subject’s movement could illustrate a lack of urgency.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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The singer stood next to a set of faux power lines onstage, which quickly exploded to illustrate the island's frequent power outages.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan, who is also a Fed voter this year, recounted in a 2024 speech a series of anecdotes of AI enhancing productivity for businesses across industries.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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The immigration officer’s testimony recounting the moments before the shooting differed significantly from that of the defendants and three eyewitnesses.—
Hannah Schoenbaum,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describe. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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