Crossword Genius

Depict a sinister man (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

portray

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'depict' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'a sinister man' is the wordplay.
'a sinister' becomes 'port' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'man' becomes 'Ray' (Man Ray was a o0th-century artist).
'port'+'ray'='PORTRAY'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for portray that I've seen before include "Depict in art" , "sketch" , "Delineate" , "Act" , "Use words to describe" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app