portray
verb (used with object)
to make a likeness of by drawing, painting, carving, or the like.
have portrayed
-
present perfectof portray.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some media reports have portrayed Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, as a top contender, even though he lacks the status of a senior cleric.
From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026
"It cannot be seen as an election just between the two leaders," said Nepali political journalist Binu Subedi, adding many have "portrayed it as a fight" between old and new.
From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026
The senator also said that the birth-dose recommendation is not a mandate, as some opponents have portrayed it to be, and that hepatitis B infections plummeted after it was introduced in 1991.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
But he didn’t worry about the other actors who have portrayed Hutter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2024
Scott is said, rightly or wrongly, to have portrayed the Covenanters without any deep understanding of them; it would have been the same with Shakespeare.
From Oxford Lectures on Poetry by Andrew Cecil Bradley
