portrays

verb

present tense third-person singular of portray
1
as in describes
to give a representation or account of in words the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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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3
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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4
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 Branka Katić as Raisa Gorbachev Branka Katić portrays Raisa Gorbachev in The Brink of War. — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026 Ryding is Luca Haas, Jalees is Farah Jalali, and Priyanka portrays Tarek. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026 Troy Baker also portrays the role of Nathaniel Essex in another character spin from Marvel Comics. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026 Juno Temple portrays supermodel and eventual public relations expert Keeley Jones. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2026 The lobster fishing industry, based mostly in Maine, has pushed back, saying the claim inaccurately portrays it as a threat to whales and constitutes defamation that has caused economic harm. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 Joining them are Thaddeus LaGrone as Brad, Noah Beck as Luke and Brooks Nader as Selene while David Chokachi reprises the role of Cody Madison and Livvy Dunne portrays Grace. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026 The pair realized that the server’s family had a background in the type of work De Oliveira portrays in Lioness. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026 Motoki portrays Murashige as curiously recessive — someone who has laid waste to myriad foes and has now lost his taste for bloodshed. — Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrays
  1. describes
  2. characterizes
  3. depicts
  4. plays
  5. performs
  6. interprets
  7. represents
Verb
  • The company describes this combination as soft embodied intelligence.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Sivan describes the anecdotes in the song as a collage of, and love letter inspired by, several women in his personal life.
    — Leah Lu, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of describes
Verb
  • Lou Reed modeled the sort of petulant sing-talking that characterizes her verses.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • Strada’s website characterizes the candidate as a successful businessman.
    — Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026
Definition of characterizes
Verb
  • It’s supposed to be set in a well-trodden, fun neighborhood, but not in one that depicts huge wealth.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The film also depicts Gorbachev as something of a drama queen during the meetings, slamming the table and raising his voice.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of depicts
Verb
  • Berglund is a big, heavy center who plays a hard, detailed two-way game.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The trio also saw how coffee plays a central role in Chicago’s bakery culture, and their beverage program features local makers Sparrow Coffee and Spirit Tea.
    — Carly Boers, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of plays
Verb
  • However, these uses remain future possibilities, and the team plans to test how the material performs in device-relevant forms.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Ogbonnaya, who performs under his first name, will be on the bill; so will No-Fi RPM, a live-mixing series that Curran and Farlee run with collaborators Estevan Medina, Dillon Kelley and Patrick Mitchell.
    — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of performs
Verb
  • Sickafoose's team interprets this as being the haze particles settling towards lower latitudes.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But a sound critic interprets celebrities as exemplary, not singular.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of interprets
Verb
  • Bernardo had previously been offered to Real by his agent, Jorge Mendes — who also represents Mourinho — but Madrid had ruled him out.
    — Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Nevertheless, this represents Yellowstone’s most extreme and least likely scenario.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of represents

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portraying
portrays
ports
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Cite this Entry

“Portrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrays. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of portrays for Spanish Speakers

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