portraying

verb

present participle of portray
1
as in describing
to give a representation or account of in words the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in characterizing
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
3
as in depicting
to present a picture of a landscape that portrays the scenery near the town where the painter grew up

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in playing
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 portraying Through its own websites, the mysterious group has been portraying itself as vigilantes out to rein in greedy video game developers. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026 Russia has rejected all accusations of espionage, portraying them as part of anti-Russian hysteria. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Aug. 2026 Jonathan Daviss, one of the stars of Netflix series Outer Banks, is portraying Snoop Dogg, who emerged from Long Beach, California, in the 1990s to become one of the biggest names in rap. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026 By portraying white people as under attack or unfairly displaced, these narratives transform social change into a story of persecution and provide a powerful justification for political mobilization. — Art Jipson, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2026 Madelyn Cline is opening up about portraying a couple opposite Chase Stokes on Outer Banks after their 2021 breakup. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026 Sinan Ciddi, director of the Turkey Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that Ankara is portraying the confrontation through a sharply different lens. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Sally Field Marcellus was entirely CG-generated for the film and Field is matter of fact about the task involved in portraying a complex relationship with, well, thin air. — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026 The untitled prequel is expected to follow Danny Ocean’s parents, played by Cooper and Robbie, at the 1963 Monaco Grand Prix, with Moura portraying a villain character, as the outlet reported. — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraying
  1. describing
  2. characterizing
  3. depicting
  4. playing
  5. representing
  6. performing
  7. defining
  8. interpreting
Verb
  • Without that foundation, the math Dimon and Scaramucci are describing simply does not hold in the American context.
    — Dan Schawbel, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Prosecutors read records from the facility describing Clancy’s largely routine actions on her children’s birthdays and the anniversaries of the killings.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of describing
Verb
  • The sources firmly rejected the draft declarations, characterizing them as publicity stunts designed to mock the league, sow division, and draw attention to the topic by demeaning others.
    — Wayne Sterling, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The 49ers did not have an update on the specific injury, characterizing it only as a rib issue.
    — Matt Barrows, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of characterizing
Verb
  • Iran refers to Trump’s ‘delusion’ about the strait Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi appeared to respond to Trump’s post on social media depicting the strait as American territory.
    — Samy Magdy, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Jahnke’s work features four panels depicting realistic images of local wildlife, including geese, raccoons, a fox and an owl.
    — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of depicting
Verb
  • The service got its name from the original Mechanical Turk, an 18th century chess-playing robot that was actually controlled by a human chess master.
    — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • If your dog has any dental issues, playing any type of pulling game is not advisable.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of playing
Verb
  • Among the men who publicly defended the klan, representing them in court cases in the 1970s and ’80s, was an attorney named John Edmond Mays.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But the auction process has angered the union representing Spirit’s former flight attendants.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of representing
Verb
  • Music is also a big component, with 10 bands on two stages performing each day.
    — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The Postal Service expects its employees to conduct themselves professionally and appropriately while performing their duties, according to the statement.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of performing
Verb
  • The plight of immigrants is one of the defining moral issues of our time, and more and more big name musicians are following the trail Parton blazed so long ago.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • By defining other civilizations as alien cultures, a civilizationist grand strategy might fuel antagonism rather than tolerate differences.
    — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of defining
Verb
  • Trouble with the way samples are handled or the presence of other medical conditions such as kidney problems or viral illnesses can also lead to confusion with interpreting the results.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Interiors are a fresh take on classic British West Indies elegance, nodding to the overall aesthetic of Little Palm’s past but re-interpreting it as tropical chic of the present.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of interpreting

Browse Nearby Words

portrayed
portraying
portrays
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Portraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraying. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All