1
as in described
to give a representation or account of in words
the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in characterized
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
traditionally, European authors portrayed the natives as wise and noble
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in depicted
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 played
to present a portrayal or performance of
gained fame portraying Susan B. Anthony in a one-woman show
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Recent Examples of portrayed
Among other things, the New York Times story portrayed Lively as Hollywood’s latest #MeToo crusader, courageously exposing workplace abuses against women.
—
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Strong played heir apparent Kendall Roy, with his siblings portrayed by Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Alan Ruck, each vying to inherit the family business.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2026
Madigan's Aunt Gladys emerges as the movie's primary villain and torments characters portrayed by Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong and child star Cary Christopher throughout the film.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
The story centers around domestic violence in a couple, portrayed on-screen by Lively and Baldoni.
—Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Unfortunately, her plot confines these characters to another narrow set of roles, and most of them are portrayed as incapable of leaving their cage.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
But life at home for the married actors who portrayed them, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, was much different.
—Michael Gioia, Architectural Digest, 1 Apr. 2026
The irony is that a minority once viewed as filled with sissies and losers is now portrayed as filled with bullies and power brokers, and straight people, especially men, seem to perceive themselves as the weak and afraid ones.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
But, even then, El Mercurio and other Chilean media downplayed his offenses and portrayed his dictatorship as a driver of a successful national economy.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 Mar. 2026
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Strong played heir apparent Kendall Roy, with his siblings portrayed by Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Alan Ruck, each vying to inherit the family business.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2026
Madigan's Aunt Gladys emerges as the movie's primary villain and torments characters portrayed by Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong and child star Cary Christopher throughout the film.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
The story centers around domestic violence in a couple, portrayed on-screen by Lively and Baldoni.
—Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Unfortunately, her plot confines these characters to another narrow set of roles, and most of them are portrayed as incapable of leaving their cage.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
But life at home for the married actors who portrayed them, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, was much different.
—Michael Gioia, Architectural Digest, 1 Apr. 2026
The irony is that a minority once viewed as filled with sissies and losers is now portrayed as filled with bullies and power brokers, and straight people, especially men, seem to perceive themselves as the weak and afraid ones.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
But, even then, El Mercurio and other Chilean media downplayed his offenses and portrayed his dictatorship as a driver of a successful national economy.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayed
Verb
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The primary suite is described as storage-rich and spa-like, with multiple closets and a bath built for lingering.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The clip, shared by her owner, shows the golden retriever—now named Kaiko—settling into a bedroom on what was described as her very first night living indoors.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Afterward, a student in the audience complained to his parents that, at the event, the deaths of Palestinian civilians had been characterized as collateral damage—a regrettable but unavoidable consequence of the battle against Hamas.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Venus, despite being similar to Earth in size and composition, has an extremely hostile environment characterized by dense carbon dioxide, thick sulfuric acid clouds, surface pressures around 90 bar, and temperatures exceeding 460°C.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The animation is a little rough around the edges — there’s a shot of wine being poured down a sink where the red liquid is depicted in CGI, for some reason — but the slightly retro style with the characters’ prominent lips and sharp chins added to the camp appeal.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The Ripper/Frant was not depicted on screen.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Takaoka played a long arcing ball-ahead to Ocampo, who avoided goalkeeper James Pantemis — who had charged off his line — and rolled a shot from the edge of the penalty area inside the back post and into a wide-open net.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The Current’s still one of the most talented teams in the league, boasting such USWNT veterans as Cooper, Sentnor and LaBonta, along with women who’ve played for other countries — Lorena and midfielder Rocky Rodriguez (Costa Rica), for instance.—
PJ Green
April 5,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Dion last performed in Paris during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, singing from the balcony of the Eiffel Tower.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In 2023 and 2024, the band performed just down the road from Billy Bob’s Texas at Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This column is designed to be educational and informational only and should not be interpreted as medical advice.—
Joy Harden Bradford,
AJC.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Our Revolutionary fathers were influenced by the Bible, particularly as Scripture was interpreted through British common law.—
James O. Cunningham,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portrayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayed. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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