1
as in to describe
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 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
Meanwhile, Ritter portrays Julian in the reboot of Matlock, which follows Kathy Bates’ character, Madeline Matlock, who rejoins the law workforce as a senior.
—
Charna Flam, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Forlani will portray Cordelia Hanani-Spyrka, a corporate PR heavy-hitter.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2025
For Tandy, portraying Fela meant stepping into the shoes of a woman whose true intentions remain unclear until the film’s final moments—adding layers of tension and intrigue to the story.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 31 Mar. 2025
Good American Family, released on March 19, stars Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass as Kristine and Michael Barnett, while 27-year-old Imogen Faith Reid portrays Natalia.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portray
Charna Flam, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Forlani will portray Cordelia Hanani-Spyrka, a corporate PR heavy-hitter.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2025
For Tandy, portraying Fela meant stepping into the shoes of a woman whose true intentions remain unclear until the film’s final moments—adding layers of tension and intrigue to the story.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 31 Mar. 2025
Good American Family, released on March 19, stars Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass as Kristine and Michael Barnett, while 27-year-old Imogen Faith Reid portrays Natalia.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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The former Today host described how the aftermath of her diagnosis sparked a new wave of courage.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Mar. 2025
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Words feel insignificant and insufficient in trying to describe such an unimaginable loss.—
Jordan Freiman,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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While central New South Wales is now characterized by plains and plateaus, during the Miocene, the region was surrounded by lush rainforests, according to the study.—
Julianna Bragg,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
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Cold Creek was planted in the 1970s and exists as one of the state’s oldest vineyards; its fruit is characterized by ripe fruit intensity which the winery balances by picking the grapes over a four week period to showcase varying sweetness levels for a complex palate in flavor and structure.—
Jillian Dara,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This episode depicts the benefits of cultural immersion, trying new experiences, and speaking more than one language.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
26 Mar. 2025
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The brightly colored animal creations depict everything from sloths and raccoons to birds, elephants and giraffes.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Engage Your Senses In a shared office environment, playing loud music or lighting a scented candle is frowned upon.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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The Rebellion Is Here Moss, who stars, executive produces and directs on the series, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the emotional impact of becoming a mother herself before playing June one last time for The Handmaid’s Tale.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In Figure 2, red dots represent safety or operational events.—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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As mentioned earlier, it was produced alongside the last generation GMT-Master (I) for some years, and, as such, represented a slightly more expensive offering.—
Oren Hartov,
Robb Report,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Zetterlund performed well enough on the top line, firing two shots on net with a 52.63 Corsi rating at five-on-five.—
Julian McKenzie,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
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Leave a comment View Comments Unwind back to standing, then perform the movement, rotating to the left.—
Dana Santas,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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They’re required to see the race from inside the car (immersed in the on-track action), but also from the pits (making tactical adjustments) and from the operations center (where analysts interpret vast streams of data).—
John Cairney,
Sportico.com,
22 Mar. 2025
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Supreme Court curbed agency power over regulations The growing conflict between Trump's executive branch and the judiciary comes a year after the Supreme Court overturned a 40-year precedent that held courts should defer to agency expertise in interpreting ambiguous federal laws.—
Bart Jansen,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This was a manual process, done by our sound team and Respeecher in post-production.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2025
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This was the best of both creative stimulating worlds, essentially doing a play on screen.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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