1
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
a brief but crucial admonition to keep quiet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in short
not lasting for a considerable time
fortunately, the meeting was brief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flash
lasting only for a short time
a brief flash of light
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in summary
a short statement of the main points
a one-page brief of the intelligence report
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mission
a specific task with which a person or group is charged
the soldiers' brief was to secure the village from enemy attacks
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to inform
to give information to
the lieutenant briefed his superior officers on the state of the enemy's fortifications
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to summarize
to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report)
his duties include briefing intelligence reports for the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brief
Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
During her brief tenure, Gabbard had been a controversial director.
—Eric McDaniel, NPR, 17 June 2026
Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 12 June 2026
The messaging sounded on-brief.
—Robert Burko, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 17 June 2026
Trump must brief Congress and the public on the details of his understanding with Iran immediately and end this war once and for all.
—Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for brief
Adjective
Mangione, who sat in between his lawyers and wore a dark blue suit, was quiet throughout the brief hearing and held a folder up in front of his face for most of the time photographers were allowed to take pictures.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
During her brief tenure, Gabbard had been a controversial director.
—Eric McDaniel, NPR, 17 June 2026
Noun
The brief isn’t about access alone anymore.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 12 June 2026
The messaging sounded on-brief.
—Robert Burko, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Verb
More suspects are believed to be involved, a federal law enforcement official briefed on the matter told USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 17 June 2026
Trump must brief Congress and the public on the details of his understanding with Iran immediately and end this war once and for all.
—Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
Get concise answers to your questions.—
Mary Ilyushina,
Washington Post,
21 June 2026
-
After considering a visitor’s question for a few seconds, the AI avatar gave a concise ruling, with specific citations to the USGA rulebook.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
21 June 2026
Adjective
-
When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2026
-
The tears weren't solely a result of coming up short at another major, but more so about the message his dad shared with him after Burns' Sunday surge up the leader board came up just short.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
In fact, the weather service said that more than 50% of flash-flood deaths happen in vehicles driven into floodwaters.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
Don’t miss Alcopop’s Black Mango Watermelon, Seongju Chamoe and Watermelon Ice Pop; Matcha Latte, with flash-frozen local herbs and a hand-cut ice diamond; and Journey, a concoction that maps a tomato’s global odyssey.—
Melinda Sheckells,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Its summary, from the title throughout, is shameless propaganda.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
20 June 2026
-
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
None of these are the type of meaty science mission that Mars researchers have become accustomed to.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
22 June 2026
-
Based on previous statements from officials, the Victus Haze mission will unfold with additional maneuvers to bring Rocket Lab’s Puma satellite closer to True Anomaly’s Jackal.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
Former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has been informed by the NFL that the league will not hold a supplemental draft prior to the 2026 season.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2026
-
Gonzalez worked to enforce a roadblock during the chemical plume without being informed about the dangers of inhaling the chemicals.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
Could the model summarize a contract, answer a customer, support an analyst or a clinician?—
Najwa Aaraj,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
-
Ultimately, the entire discipline of artificial intelligence can be summarized as the effort to recreate the intelligence of human brains in silicon machines.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
There, officers found the little girl with severe, life-threatening injuries.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
-
Contrary to popular belief, the central bank has little influence over home loan rates.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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