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 portrayal Niles’ no-nonsense portrayal reminded Idris of his real mother. Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 30 June 2025 For an industry which has long been treated by the television and film industries as a dirty, dangerous business run by unethical, cartoon-ish villains like J.R. Ewing, such a balanced portrayal is a welcome change, indeed. David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025 Canadian actor William Shatner, famed for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek — and, in 2021, as the oldest person to travel to space at age 90 — teamed up with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson for an evening of cosmic zingers. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 23 June 2025 He was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Henry VIII in the 1966 film, A Man for All Seasons. Caroline Blair, People.com, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for portrayal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayal
Noun
  • Her most famous depiction is on a tilma (cloak-like garment), attributed to a 16th-century story of a Nahua man named Juan Diego.
    Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2025
  • Superman 2025 is the latest in a long line of media depictions of the dashing visitor from another planet who fights bad guys (Earthlings and aliens), rescues people in distress, inspires hope and seeks justice.
    Rusty Wright, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • Tempest’s description evokes a dreamlike horror, laced with black humor: Men were still stuck in the mud all over the battlefield, imploring help to lift them out : half crazy with the sense of their own impotence, and the enemy shelling. . . .
    Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
  • The menu’s description was understated: chocolate mousse.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • The machine can handle everything from ultra-sharp lettering to lifelike portraits.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
  • The truth is that Sofia’s job can be taxing, and in The Scout, which premiered in June at the Tribeca Film Festival, González-Nasser, who was herself a location scout for six years, crafts a modest portrait of its complicated reality.
    Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • On TikTok, Nicole shared a text exchange with Samantha, the mother who invited her, and Samantha reveals that Stasia and Jake were told that she was invited—Samantha even shared a picture of the meal Nicole had prepared, the now-iconic antipasto.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
  • In terms of your five best pictures, Jaws, Dog Day Afternoon, Barry Lyndon, Nashville, and us — these were auteur-driven, from the talent, the creative side.
    Jordan Hoffman Updated, EW.com, 10 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Portrayal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayal. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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