1
as in describing
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 characterizing
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 depicting
to present a picture of
a landscape that portrays the scenery near the town where the painter grew up
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in playing
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 portraying
Ann Jillian went from a Disney child star to a '80s sitcom favorite, even portraying her own battle with cancer on screen.
—
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Yes, Jaafar is actually singing while portraying Michael, with the late singer's vocals also being blended into some of the tracks.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
The actor also praised William Shatner for having previously taken to social media to share his blessing for Wesley portraying the same character that Shatner originated in the initial series.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2026
Jaafar Jackson, the real-life nephew of Michael Jackson, is portraying the King of Pop in the film, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long playing his parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
An earlier version of the film is already notorious for portraying the first of those allegations as an extortion attempt before pricey rewrites and reshoots.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
The production features over 20 actors portraying characters from a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds, reflecting the diversity of the real-life camp.
—Ray Campos, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Acting career Allen next turned to acting, portraying Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor in the film How to Build a Girl (2019).
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
Noah and Allie’s love story is told over decades, with three pairs of actors portraying the couple as teenagers, adults and older adults.
—Pamela Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Yes, Jaafar is actually singing while portraying Michael, with the late singer's vocals also being blended into some of the tracks.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
The actor also praised William Shatner for having previously taken to social media to share his blessing for Wesley portraying the same character that Shatner originated in the initial series.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2026
Jaafar Jackson, the real-life nephew of Michael Jackson, is portraying the King of Pop in the film, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long playing his parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
An earlier version of the film is already notorious for portraying the first of those allegations as an extortion attempt before pricey rewrites and reshoots.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
The production features over 20 actors portraying characters from a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds, reflecting the diversity of the real-life camp.
—Ray Campos, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Acting career Allen next turned to acting, portraying Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor in the film How to Build a Girl (2019).
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
Noah and Allie’s love story is told over decades, with three pairs of actors portraying the couple as teenagers, adults and older adults.
—Pamela Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraying
Verb
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When describing his overall plan for ELL and emergent bilingual learning after staff cuts, Licata said those resources are not being spent in the right directions for students.—
Samuel O’Neal
Updated April 29,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
-
What the note was describing lay outside the perimeter.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But those infractions do not justify characterizing an entire category of services that helps tens of millions of Americans remain in their homes as rife with fraud and in need of dramatic changes.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
23 Apr. 2026
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The author portrays Huntington Beach’s conservative leadership as opportunistic political actors seeking to weaponize local grievances for statewide power, characterizing their efforts to expand influence as built on cultural controversies rather than substantive governance achievements.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An impressive theater Each of the three stories of the West Theater was surrounded by 16 columns, between which statues of gods were displayed, often depicting scenes from Homer’s epics.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
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But if the estate is legally prohibited from depicting basically the entire second half of Jackson’s life, what would a second movie even be about?—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the Ado Annie-like Betsy, a horny teen-ager whose father owns a shotgun, Kurtz is playing a character who should be, and kind of is, a one-joke punch line.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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Twin sisters Jordan and Jaedyn Gomez, playing for Boone, lost their second round individual bracket doubles match 6-0, 6-0 against Doral Academy’s top seeded duo of Payton Seidle-Lubowitz and Stefany Zamora.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The civil action was filed on April 8 in Hartford Superior Court by attorney Tim O’Keefe, who is representing the family of the child.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
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Mealy is a City Council member representing parts of Brooklyn.—
Darlene Mealy,
New York Daily News,
25 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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For the project, Theron, famous for performing the vast majority of her stunts in action films like Atomic Blonde and The Old Guard, trained with rock climber Beth Rodden to believably portray Sasha, an avid adventurer.—
Nigel Smith,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Millions looked on as Britain's future king and queen wed on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, defining a new era for the monarchy.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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The soft, sunny color is the perfect hue to transition into the warmer months, and Kristi Patterson, founder and principal designer at Grace Hill Design, says yellow is emerging as the defining color of the season.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When interpreting known brands, his first mission is authenticity.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
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This long-term evolution culminated in the training of an algorithm capable of accurately interpreting and recognizing complex patterns of electrical pulses within the system.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraying. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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