as in descriptions
a vivid representation in words of someone or something
his account created in the jurors' heads a detailed portrait of a lonely old man
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Recent Examples of portraits
Known for era-defining portraits of figures from John Lennon to Barack Obama, Fairey reveals how photography underpins his graphic language across screen print, collage and new commissions created for the show.
—
Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Flowers and portraits of the late opposition leader have appeared in memorials across Europe, including outside the former Russian consulate in Frankfurt, highlighting international outrage over his death.
—Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 14 Feb. 2026
Queen Emma was the first to wear the sapphire tiara in official portraits and solemn ceremonies, setting a precedent that her successors respected.
—Marta Martínez Tato, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
The campaign, shot in Paris by Adam Peter Johnson, unfolds through stark portraits and graphic still-life images.
—Katie Abel, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
For more information and to view the portraits online, click here.
—Derek James, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
There will be ice skating, sketch portraits, a Mexican food truck, ice sculpture and photo opportunities, the event website said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 11 Feb. 2026
The club’s walls are plastered with Puerto Rican flags and portraits of the bar’s owner and matriarch, whose real name is Maria Antonia Cay.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
The system is designed to work from one image rather than requiring multiple angles, and the resulting portraits are produced in a resolution suitable for printing through Mixtiles.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Flowers and portraits of the late opposition leader have appeared in memorials across Europe, including outside the former Russian consulate in Frankfurt, highlighting international outrage over his death.
—Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 14 Feb. 2026
Queen Emma was the first to wear the sapphire tiara in official portraits and solemn ceremonies, setting a precedent that her successors respected.
—Marta Martínez Tato, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
The campaign, shot in Paris by Adam Peter Johnson, unfolds through stark portraits and graphic still-life images.
—Katie Abel, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
For more information and to view the portraits online, click here.
—Derek James, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
There will be ice skating, sketch portraits, a Mexican food truck, ice sculpture and photo opportunities, the event website said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 11 Feb. 2026
The club’s walls are plastered with Puerto Rican flags and portraits of the bar’s owner and matriarch, whose real name is Maria Antonia Cay.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
The system is designed to work from one image rather than requiring multiple angles, and the resulting portraits are produced in a resolution suitable for printing through Mixtiles.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraits
Noun
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The descriptions of slavery are excruciating.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Regardless of the field, a growing number of job descriptions now ask for AI skills or fluency, Blankstein said.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Deuxmoi showed pictures of McRae and Hughes dining at Anton’s in the West Village the month prior.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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In these 2-foot-square pictures, long-haired nude female figures in close Edenic companionship with wild beasts poke their heads out from behind lush tropical foliage, and stare, unsettlingly, straight outward.—
Benjamin Lima,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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According to common depictions of his family’s dynamic, Mamdani inherited his leftist political ideology from his father, the anti-colonialist Columbia professor, and his dimpled charm and flair for the theatrical from his filmmaker mother.—
Rebecca Traister,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
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Gone with the Wind earned Margaret Mitchell the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937, though many themes of the book are recognized as problematic today, including racist and stereotypical depictions of Black characters and the glorifications of slavery and the Civil War.—
Amanda Favazza,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Since its 2023 debut, the show has resonated for its raw portrayals of participants shaped by divorce, grief, illness and major life decisions.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
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Calvo argued to the Herald that fictional portrayals should help establish a better image of the city, not harm it.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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One programmer joked that his early sketches of the Goombas looked like chestnuts— kuri in Japanese, which is why Goombas are known in Japan as kuribo.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
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Late night shows like The Tonight Show typically include comedy sketches, and those have become a point of differentiation as the battle for guest bookings intensifies.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portraits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraits. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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