as in depiction
a vivid representation in words of someone or something
his novel presents a moving portrayal of a woman searching for personal fulfillment and happiness
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Recent Examples of portrayal
They had been left openly stacked by toilets, stashed in closets, and crammed in a pool pump house in a portrayal of arrogant disdain for protocols of American national security.
—
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Knox views this portrayal as all being in service of a character, a projection, a fantasy — never a flesh-and-blood person.
—Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025
How did your own motherhood journey inform your portrayal of Gemma?
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2025
Helen Schneider, acclaimed internationally for powerful portrayals in musicals like Sunset Boulevard, Evita, and her one-woman show A Walk on the Weill Side, embraced the complexities of portraying Leonard Bernstein.
—Court Stroud, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portrayal
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Knox views this portrayal as all being in service of a character, a projection, a fantasy — never a flesh-and-blood person.
—Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025
How did your own motherhood journey inform your portrayal of Gemma?
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2025
Helen Schneider, acclaimed internationally for powerful portrayals in musicals like Sunset Boulevard, Evita, and her one-woman show A Walk on the Weill Side, embraced the complexities of portraying Leonard Bernstein.
—Court Stroud, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portrayal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayal
Noun
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Other presidential paintings line the building's rotunda walls, including Boardman's depiction of former President Barack Obama.—
Emma Bowman,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2025
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That’s a realistic depiction, says Dr. Joshua King, medical director of the Maryland Poison Center.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Officers searched the area but did not find a person matching the robber’s description, police said.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2025
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Charles Schwab fits this description, according to Cyprys.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In this slice-of-life portrait, Chen shows how childhood experiences can shape someone, illustrating how a childhood passion might expand their horizons without necessarily becoming a lifelong vocation.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
29 Mar. 2025
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Williams stays mostly away from that famously morphing portrait, a memorably chilling piece of the 1945 movie, as in all the various other dramatic adaptations over the years for stage and screen.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Photograph: Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images This story originally appeared on Vox and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration.—
Umair Irfan,
Wired News,
5 Apr. 2025
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Still, Hynes wasn’t about to paint a pretty picture about losing to the Isles.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portrayal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayal. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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