as in depiction
a vivid representation in words of someone or something
his novel presents a moving portrayal of a woman searching for personal fulfillment and happiness
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portrayal
The flattening portrayal of competitive female Olympic figure skaters is not unique to the sport.
—
Jasmine Wynn, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
This is either the milieu of an early-nineties sci-fi novel or something close to a naturalistic portrayal of contemporary San Francisco.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Later in her career, O’Hara achieved some of her greatest acclaim for her portrayal of Moira Rose.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 9 Feb. 2026
The drama is intense and the portrayal of events realistic.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portrayal
Jasmine Wynn, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
This is either the milieu of an early-nineties sci-fi novel or something close to a naturalistic portrayal of contemporary San Francisco.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Later in her career, O’Hara achieved some of her greatest acclaim for her portrayal of Moira Rose.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 9 Feb. 2026
The drama is intense and the portrayal of events realistic.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portrayal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayal
Noun
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Following the movie’s Sundance premiere last year, Sweeney spoke to Deadline about creating a messy, relatable depiction of a gay character through Dennis.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
6 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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From the video, investigators got a clear vehicle description, including a license plate number.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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What is the description of the suspect?—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Written like a field research journal, Emily Wilde is a clever and charming portrait of a scientist on a journey toward discovery, hard at work in the field and stumbling toward love, all at the same time.—
Brianne Kane,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
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The finale, which focuses on a single subject (obsessed with and thus defensive of his own public nudity), comes closest to escaping a steady stream of antagonization and painting a nuanced portrait of what’s keeping a range of Americans from finding community.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Written and performed Kentucky natives Nick Jamerson and Kris Bentley, the this song is love note to Kentucky which paints a nostalgic picture of familiar landscapes like old barns, tobacco patches, and the specific, winding journey of the Kentucky Mountain Parkway.—
Kirby Adams,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
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Oliver Weiken—picture alliance/Getty Images As the top-scoring qualifier, Gremaud was the final competitor to take her first turn, following Gu.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portrayal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayal. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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