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
Relevance
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
Jacobson opened up to Variety earlier this year about the unique challenge of casting a young Haymitch, portrayed by Woody Harrelson in the original four films.
—
Katcy Stephan, Variety, 23 Apr. 2025
The wedding is a wild affair, and I was genuinely fascinated by the care that went into portraying it all on-screen.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Tim Burton's version of the movie saw Keaton as a dark, surly Batman, shaping the way the character would be portrayed for the next three decades.
—Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025
The Oscar winner portrays a former president leading an investigation in the aftermath of a deadly national cyber attack.
—Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portray
Katcy Stephan, Variety, 23 Apr. 2025
The wedding is a wild affair, and I was genuinely fascinated by the care that went into portraying it all on-screen.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Tim Burton's version of the movie saw Keaton as a dark, surly Batman, shaping the way the character would be portrayed for the next three decades.
—Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025
The Oscar winner portrays a former president leading an investigation in the aftermath of a deadly national cyber attack.
—Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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Born in Naples, his songs are described as a blend of Neapolitan, blues, jazz and world music.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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The problem described in the lawsuit is that even for domestic travel, if a driver's license and passport identify a person by different sexes, Transportation Security Administration officials accuse the person of holding a fraudulent document.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Down-to-Earth Pope In a historic moment characterized by autocrats and would-be autocrats, Francis was the antithesis of a strongman.—
Bluesky Social,
Bluesky Social,
21 Apr. 2025
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In today's business environment, characterized by rapid technological evolution, application modernization has become an essential strategic step to ensure the competitiveness and efficiency of organizations.—
Manuel Sanchez,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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There’s also the personal draw: Not everyone has experienced a haunting, but complicated family dynamics are depicted so often in media that the setting feels both funny and heart racing.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
18 Apr. 2025
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And, for families looking for strong tween and teenage girl protagonists depicted on screen, Rule Breakers is ideal.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Vick had a career-high 540 yards rushing in 1988 and played only four NFL seasons.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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How Nvidia plays export whack-a-mole Culture champion.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Jake Elder, Ray Hendrick, Banjo Matthews, Larry Phillips, and Bob Welborn are on this year’s Pioneer Ballot, representing those whose careers began at least 60 years ago.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2025
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For 2025, the total number of companies for which emissions data was obtained increased from approximately 750 in the previous year to around 900 in the current year, representing a 25% growth.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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At a suitable moment, the charger performs a USB PD Data Role (DR) Swap.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2025
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Their offense, though, is performing below league average.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Over time, these small moments of silence and avoidance replace honest conversation, leaving both partners to interpret each other’s emotions and needs without asking directly.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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And finally, within my inner ear, another membrane vibrates in response and sends signals to my brain, which interprets them as music.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But another South Florida spot did: Itamae Ao, a Nikkei-style Peruvian-Japanese spot in Miami, earned its first Michelin star.—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
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Here’s hoping these two titans of the game meet one more time in the postseason before they’re done.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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