1
as in to depict
to give a representation or account of in words
he tried to describe the dream he had last night as accurately as he could
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to tell
to give an oral or written account of in some detail
a biography of Washington that describes the decisive Battle of Yorktown at great length
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to characterize
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
how would you describe the Inupiat people you encountered in Alaska?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of describe
The complaint references multiple players who are described as sympathetic to Russia’s viewpoint of the war.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Apr. 2025
He is described as a political science major by the paper.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Neither Miller nor Walsh would describe themselves as mythicists; indeed, both keep a wary if friendly distance from Carrier.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
The 51-year-old has what could be respectfully described as main-character syndrome — the knack of putting himself front and centre.
—Phil Hay, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Apr. 2025
He is described as a political science major by the paper.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Neither Miller nor Walsh would describe themselves as mythicists; indeed, both keep a wary if friendly distance from Carrier.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
The 51-year-old has what could be respectfully described as main-character syndrome — the knack of putting himself front and centre.
—Phil Hay, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describe
Verb
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There’s also the personal draw: Not everyone has experienced a haunting, but complicated family dynamics are depicted so often in media that the setting feels both funny and heart racing.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
18 Apr. 2025
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And, for families looking for strong tween and teenage girl protagonists depicted on screen, Rule Breakers is ideal.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The percentage tells the public how much of the fire perimeter is believed to not go beyond the control lines.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Police told Herald news partner CBS Miami that the man was Harris’ boyfriend.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Down-to-Earth Pope In a historic moment characterized by autocrats and would-be autocrats, Francis was the antithesis of a strongman.—
Bluesky Social,
Bluesky Social,
21 Apr. 2025
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Dramatic shifts in mood from extreme highs (mania/hypomania) to lows (depression) characterize bipolar disorder.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Tim Burton's version of the movie saw Keaton as a dark, surly Batman, shaping the way the character would be portrayed for the next three decades.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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The Oscar winner portrays a former president leading an investigation in the aftermath of a deadly national cyber attack.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
18 Apr. 2025
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Engineering strength depends on an interpretive framework that relates forces, the size of an object and their ratio − which represents mechanical stress.—
Zachary del Rosario,
The Conversation,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Strategic decisions made now, around technology investments, partnerships, and customer education, could determine whether a bank remains competitive in a world increasingly defined by digital currency frameworks. 5.—
Zennon Kapron,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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The line defines short cruises as ranging from four to six nights and mid-length sailings as seven to nine nights, while longer cruises are 10 or more nights.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Her own work has illustrated how different brain regions activate when processing English or Chinese sentences because of their differing linguistic properties.—
Gayoung Lee,
Scientific American,
14 Apr. 2025
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As the graphic above illustrates, Galatasaray’s Napoli loanee can find space to shoot, even with limited service.—
Ali Rampling,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Smith's sister, Patience, recounts in the documentary that Smith grew up in Canton, Ga., and raised Rockelle as a single mother.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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With his characteristic humor, Lowry recounted the highlights of the day, particularly his struggles on the 17th hole.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describe. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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