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 In four debates, Collins worked to portray Jackson as an angry lightweight who wouldn’t be effective in the Senate. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Radio programs already blurred the lines between fact and fiction by having actors portray newsmakers. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026 This was at odds with how Vance has portrayed the problem in the past. — Eli Hager, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2026 But footage obtained by OutKick portrayed a different story, including a handshake with an enthusiastic Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. — Ryan Morik , Preston Mizell Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for portray

Recent Examples of Synonyms for portray

Verb

Companies that describe their services as sovereign without being clear about those dependencies risk accusations of sovereignty-washing.

— Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Some puzzlers describe solving the crossword as a workout; for me, today’s was a knock-down, drag-out fistfight.

— Sean McGowan, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of describe

Verb

El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by warmer waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that spur changes in the atmosphere that can affect weather around the world.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Physical description The oyamel fir is characterized by its straight gray trunk and narrow conical crown and typically grows between 40 and 60 meters (130–200 feet) tall.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of characterize

Verb

Reimer played just one previous game this fall, a 35-save shutout in the American Hockey League on Saturday night, before signing an NHL contract for the rest of the season.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
The 2025 expansion team will have an opportunity to secure its first championship banner when Game 6 is played Thursday afternoon in Atlanta.

— Reuters, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of play

Verb

Shifts among Latino voters, who represent sizable portions of the electorate in both states, and Trump’s sagging approval rating appear to be driving Democrats’ strength in redder areas.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
For Elbit Systems, the purchase of ISE represents a further step in expanding its naval technology portfolio.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of represent

Verb

Her wife, poet Megan Falley, performs with the Chicago Philharmonic.

— Web Behrens, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
The Nasdaq-style Star50 index, set up by Xi to help finance China’s high-tech transformation, has been one of the world’s worst- performing tech gauges this year.

— Andy Browne, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of perform

Verb

While older generations may interpret limited eye contact, a flat expression or a pause before responding as rude, lazy or unprofessional, that might not be a younger person’s intent at all, Leahy said.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
The authors concluded that improved laboratory sensitivity and statistical methods could help agencies better interpret drinking-water monitoring results.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of interpret

Verb

There are rippling gasps, drums, strings, sax, a vaguely Latin guitar, a sample of a woman talking about getting her hair done.

— Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
Sellers who have the option to pull their listing off the market are generally doing so.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of portray

verb

Example Sentences

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