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
Naturally, Brody feels a great responsibility and weight in portraying Yarris, 64, who has come to see the show multiple times.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
In the competition for customers, Kalshi is seeking to portray itself as the responsible, clean actor.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Most challengingly, thousands of extras portraying the Persian-Sasanian army were brought in from Georgia.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
In the early scenes, the film portrays Nuremberg from the sky, the streets and steeples emerging from the clouds.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portray
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
In the competition for customers, Kalshi is seeking to portray itself as the responsible, clean actor.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Most challengingly, thousands of extras portraying the Persian-Sasanian army were brought in from Georgia.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
In the early scenes, the film portrays Nuremberg from the sky, the streets and steeples emerging from the clouds.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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Angels shortstop Zach Neto did precisely what Cora described.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Several days before the draft, McVay and Snead described their connection.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The manifesto characterized his targets as rapists and pedophiles.—
Ana Ceballos
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Still, Yang did not characterize her work, primarily, as art.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The characters can be flawed, and cars can crash, McDermott says, but NASCAR wanted race scenes to look authentic and was adamant that the series not depict anyone driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
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Daniel Chong, 104 minutes Pixar’s latest family-friendly charmer depicts a land war — over a patch of earth that was once occupied by beavers and other wildlife and that human developers are eager to blow up for a highway.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That was the game Towns played.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Mia Arguelles, who typically plays midfielder, filled in at goalkeeper due to injuries and made two saves for Andrew (7-6-1, 3-2).—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Dever continues to be represented by attorney Fred Toczek.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
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In a 6-3 ruling, the court’s conservative majority found that Louisiana district represented by Democrat Cleo Fields relied too heavily on race.—
Mark Sherman,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, said in a statement that the renowned performing artist will offer a thrilling glimpse into the minds of newsmakers.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
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If something feels like a power struggle, don’t perform your way through it.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While Katy Perry imagined her dress with a gothic, futuristic accent, Emma Watson interpreted the theme by wearing a dress made of water bottles.—
Blanche Marcel,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
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Traditional measures of student ability are becoming harder to interpret.—
Gerald Bradshaw,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The governor’s comments underscored the limited power of the commission, which could not issue subpoenas, file charges or compel anyone to do anything.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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The New York Knicks emphatically did so with a scoreline that should be reserved for horror movies.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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