PORTRAYS Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

portrays

verb

present tense third-person singular of portray

as in describes

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

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as in characterizes

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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as in depicts

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

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as in plays

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

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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 portrays Guitarricadelafuente portrays Sebastián, the focus of the film’s central timeline set during the Spanish Civil War. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026 The spinoff, which portrays Gibbs as an up-and-comer in the early ’90s, has intimately involved Harmon as an executive producer and narrator, but not so much an on-screen presence until a present-day flash-forward story was added for season 3. — Chris Willman, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026 And Dastmalchian, who portrays Bison with an emphasis on sniveling evil, struggles to quietly undercut the character’s cartoonishly menacing getup. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Daniel Craig portrays Andrew Ketterley, the titular magician, while Emma Mackey plays the mysterious Jadis, and Carey Mulligan plays Digory’s mother, Flora. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Oct. 2026 In the 1925 novel, the appearance of fledglings symbolizes freedom, confinement and even spiritual rebirth, themes that follow lead characters Clarissa and Sally (whom Edebiri portrays) as the story unfolds. — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 Filmed on the Mongolian grasslands, the film portrays the chaos of the early days of the Covid pandemic. — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 Those are the words actress Emayatzy Corinealdi — who portrays Jax Stewart in Hulu‘s hit Reasonable Doubt — used to describe the new season. — Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Another question, says Professor Trotti at Ithaca College, is whether a public execution portrays strength or provokes horror. — Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrays

Verb

The company describes its structure as an inverted pyramid, with store workers at the top.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Meta describes this option as permanently deleting chat history, stored files and active tasks.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of describes

Verb

The younger Paul’s relationship with Braunstein, however, was cold — ever since Les Paul died in 2009 of severe pneumonia complications amid what Gene characterizes as communication issues between Braunstein and the family.

— Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2026
Yet recent rhetoric from City Hall characterizes CARE as a success.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of characterizes

Verb

The re-emergence of a long-unseen Jean-Michel Basquiat masterpiece is a miracle the art market occasionally performs.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Brooks performs in the round, meaning anyone can see him on the stage regardless of where they’re seated.

— Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of performs

Verb

Spring 2027 will offer complete looks of how Walsh interprets Rebecca Taylor’s codes for a new generation.

— Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Unfortunately, his doctor interprets all the screaming about an alien presence in Thomas’ head as a garden-variety psychotic breakdown, and remands him to a more secure facility.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of interprets

Verb

Rojas pointed to Chawpi Runakuna, Ecuador’s first Indigenous LGBTQ collective, which represents several communities in the country.

— Ed Meza, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
That includes $150,000 from Service Employees International Union Local 721, which represents thousands of city workers and has negotiated an employment contract with Bass and other city leaders.

— David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of represents

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portraying

portrays

ports

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“Portrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrays. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of portrays

verb

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