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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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of portray
Onchi’s 1946 print Cherry Blossom Time portrays a woman in a traditional Japanese kimono reaching up toward pink cherry blossoms.
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Nathan Pugh, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024
Over time, the silly series portrayed a bold plot of the toilet heads going to war against figures with cameras and televisions for heads.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Lee will portray the character Hideo, who in the novel is a ninja bodyguard.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2024
These accounts portrayed enslaved people, regardless of plantation, experiencing a kind of nirvana for the entire Christmas period—utterly grateful for the generosity of their enslavers.
—Robert E. May / Made By History, TIME, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for portray 
Nathan Pugh, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024
Over time, the silly series portrayed a bold plot of the toilet heads going to war against figures with cameras and televisions for heads.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Lee will portray the character Hideo, who in the novel is a ninja bodyguard.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2024
These accounts portrayed enslaved people, regardless of plantation, experiencing a kind of nirvana for the entire Christmas period—utterly grateful for the generosity of their enslavers.
—Robert E. May / Made By History, TIME, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for portray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray
Verb
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The victims were a woman and two men who were shot; the woman was left with injuries police described as life-threatening, according to The Associated Press.Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 26 Dec. 2024
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This involves completing a form that describes the bag, collects your contact and delivery info, etc.Roger Dooley, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In speaking about cost, the political right characterizes elite higher ed institutions as inefficient organizations choking on administrative bloat.Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 28 Dec. 2024
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Military officials characterized the order as a precautionary measure intended to cap the number of strikes that could take place each day.Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The weekly and monthly strips depict the reversal of relative strength downtrends.Bill Sarubbi, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
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Mangold depicts Cash in both Walk the Line and A Complete Unknown as nervy mysteries always on the edge of a breakdown, though Boyd Holbrook plays him as more mischievous and good-humored compared to the brooding Joaquin Phoenix.Brady Gerber, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Mustangs will play Agoura in the semifinals of the St. Francis tournament with Long Beach Poly facing Oak Hills in the other semifinal on Saturday.Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024
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The game is played in 45 states plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and tickets are selling well in all of the jurisdictions.David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024
Verb
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While such an approach might sound like an echo of Steve Jobs, there is nothing techy represented in this watch.Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 28 Dec. 2024
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In Chicago, the third-largest market in the majors and the only major market represented in either of the Central divisions, the Cubs and White Sox need better management.Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Vistra has more than tripled in value to become the second best performing stock in the S & P 500 this year, outpacing chip powerhouse Nvidia and trailing only Palantir Technologies .Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
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The pop superstar will perform on Christmas Day, December 25, marking a game-changing moment for both Queen Bey and the NFL.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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He was joined onstage by Don Was as well as the late Phil Lesh’s grandson Grahame to interpret the track off 1970’s American Beauty.Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2024
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As privacy regulations become stricter, marketers will need to adapt their model-building approaches, carefully considering how these changes impact their ability to gather and interpret data.Mike Villalobos, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Three decades of water damage nearly did Michigan Central in, as consensus seems to be the structural integrity was nearing the point of no return when Ford purchased it in May 2018.Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Dec. 2024
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De-escalation hadn’t yet hit the mainstream in law enforcement, but Sibley recalled spending most of his days doing just that.Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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