as in to flow
to move or proceed smoothly and readily
a pop star brushing past a crowd of autograph seekers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to kiss
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing
spiderwebs brushed her cheek as she walked through the basement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brush
Rick Jervis, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Alas, her brushes with athletic brilliance proved fleeting.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Testing the powder on rats fed a high-sugar diet, the team found that brushing with BSCT for just one minute a day was enough to restore the rats' oral microbiome, reduce inflammation, and kill the bacteria that causes periodontitis.
—New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brush
Noun
The next moment, they were being whisked away in handcuffs to a detention center in the brush country of South Texas, in the small town of Dilley – population 5,732.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Alas, her brushes with athletic brilliance proved fleeting.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
Broil, brushing with remaining sauce in pan halfway through, until salmon is cooked through and sauce is heavily blistered, 12–14 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Testing the powder on rats fed a high-sugar diet, the team found that brushing with BSCT for just one minute a day was enough to restore the rats' oral microbiome, reduce inflammation, and kill the bacteria that causes periodontitis.
—New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brush
encounter
Noun
-
There's also a vital element of resource management that plays a role in every encounter, forcing players to juggle power distribution between shields, weapons, and engines while also managing heat levels within their craft.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Less than a week later, another encounter on the school run had a different outcome.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brush. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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