PORTRAY Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

portray

verb

pȯr-ˈtrā

Definition of portray

as in to describe

to give a representation or account of in words the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to depict

to present a picture of a landscape that portrays the scenery near the town where the painter grew up

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to play

to present a portrayal or performance of gained fame portraying Susan B. Anthony in a one-woman show

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of portray Texas politicians, however, portray sharia as a threat to American law. — Asma Uddin, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 Amie Donald physically portrays M3GAN, with Jenna Davis providing the voice. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 The film trailer, with Rosalie Bonenfant playing Villeneuve’s wife, doesn’t shy away from portraying the impact of his fame and fortune as an elite race driver on his family. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026 Patrick portrayed the character T-1000 in the 1991 James Cameron blockbuster. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for portray

Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray

Verb

DeepMind's Demis Hassabis has similarly described a future that plays to that strategy.

— MacKenzie Sigalos,Drew Troast, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
For space robots, Ono describes simplicity in terms of the number of actuators.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of describe

Verb

Phoenix characterized the chips, established the programming approach, and verified the resulting devices before delivery.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Blanche and the president have characterized those cases as politically motivated.

— Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of characterize

Verb

Golf equipment powerhouse Callaway ended its partnership with Good Good Golf amid the justified backlash over a video ad for a new Callaway driver that depicts a man aggressively shoving a woman to the ground.

— Greg Cote August 30, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
And inside, the shoe’s insoles are printed with graphics depicting piles of beads — just in case the inspiration was lost on anyone.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of depict

Verb

Investments in big-name stars did not pan out, including a seven-year, $245 million deal for Anthony Rendon that had to be restructured and will end after this season, with Rendon playing just 257 games for the franchise and none since 2024.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Rumors have circulated that Stan may be playing Harvey Dent, the district attorney who eventually becomes the villainous Two-Face and was previously portrayed by Aaron Eckhart, Tommy Lee Jones, and Billy Dee Williams.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of play

Verb

For the traditional Telugu Hindu ceremony, their priest translated Sanskrit to English in real time, and the mandap was designed as a circle to represent how life flows into itself for eternity.

— Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026
Dontay Wilson, president of UAW Local 31, which represents employees at the General Motors plant, said workers want stability after years of uncertainty.

— Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of represent

Verb

At this point, the two begin (deep sigh) performing lines from Romeo and Juliet while dressed as the title characters.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Participants perform duck walks, suitcase carries, bear crawls and overhead holds reminiscent of the log and boat carries in Marine boot camps.

— Jenna Belhumeur, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of perform

Verb

When officials disagree, even if legitimate based on terminology, the general public can interpret that disagreement as evidence that officials do not have a solid understanding of the outbreak.

— Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments have been interpreted different ways over the years.

— NBC news, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of interpret

Verb

As Korean growth picks up, President Lee Jae Myung could be excused for thinking his job as an economic reformer is done.

— William Pesek, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Quarterback Jack Strand made the Atlanta Falcons’ initial 53-man roster Sunday, and running back Tyler Goodson did not.

— Josh Kendall, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of do

Browse Nearby Words

portraitures

portray

portrayal

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portray. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of portray

verb

Example Sentences

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