bracket

noun

brack·et | \ ˈbra-kət

Definition of bracket

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an overhanging member that projects from a structure (such as a wall) and is usually designed to support a vertical load or to strengthen an angle

2 : a fixture (as for holding a lamp) projecting from a wall or column

3a : one of a pair of marks [ ] used in writing and printing to enclose matter or in mathematics and logic as signs of aggregation

— called also square bracket

b : one of the pair of marks 〈〉 used to enclose matter

— called also angle bracket

c : parenthesis sense 3

d : brace sense 5b

4 : a section of a continuously numbered or graded series (such as age ranges or income levels)

5 : a pairing of opponents in an elimination tournament

bracket

verb

bracketed; bracketing; brackets

Definition of bracket (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to place within or as if within brackets editorial comments are bracketed news stories bracketed by commercials

b : to eliminate from consideration bracket off politics

c : to extend around so as to encompass : include test pressures … which bracket virtually the entire range of passenger-car tire pressures — Consumer Reports

2 : to furnish or fasten with brackets

3 : to put in the same category or group bracketed in a tie for third

4a : to get the range on (a target) by firing over and short

b : to establish the limits of bracketed the problem neatly

c : to take photographs of at more than one exposure in order to ensure that the desired exposure is obtained

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about bracket

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Examples of bracket in a Sentence

Noun

The shelf is held up with two brackets. There are wall brackets in the garage for the rakes and shovels. She is taller than average for her age bracket. He earned enough to put him in a higher tax bracket. She is now in a lower income bracket than before.

Verb

I wouldn't exactly bracket your paintings with those of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

And apparently neither of their brackets made it very far. — Krystin Arneson, Glamour, "Even the Game of Thrones Actors Get Their Show Theories Wrong," 31 Mar. 2019 Made for a ceiling installation, its mounting brackets were designed to fasten to joists 48 inches apart. — Popular Mechanics, "To Install a Pull-Up Bar, We Built a Surfboard," 23 Mar. 2019 Arizona and Iowa State clash at 6, with the winners meeting in a second- round game and the losers meeting in the losers’ bracket. — Seattle Times Staff, The Seattle Times, "Gonzaga, Arizona, Duke among teams in loaded Maui Invitational," 24 July 2018 The road was even tougher at the 42-team, double-elimination state finals as Poway was thrown into the loser’s bracket. — Terry Monahan, Pomerado News, "Poway softball team heads to Western Nationals," 12 July 2018 Cooper City will play Aucilla Christian on Friday at 3 p.m. in the winners’ bracket. — Steve Svekis, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Douglas, Aquinas get big wins in Kissimmee Klassic openers, will face off in quarters," 6 Apr. 2018 Here’s a printable version of N.C.A.A. bracket Need some help? — Zach Schonbrun And Benjamin Hoffman, New York Times, "N.C.A.A. Tournament Bracket: Analysis of Each Region," 12 Mar. 2018 White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders went viral on Twitter on Monday, March 25, after posting a massive bracket that included journalists, activists, and TV hosts, produced by the New York Post. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Sarah Sanders Got Dragged for Tweeting About “Mueller Madness”," 26 Mar. 2019 Download our Bachelorette bracket PDF now to play along with Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette, Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. — Aurelie Corinthios, PEOPLE.com, "Becca Kufrin Walks Off Bachelorette Date After Contestant Admits He Lied About 'Falling' for Her," 18 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

His eyes, brown as acorns, were bracketed by deepening crow’s-feet. — Richard Conniff, WSJ, "‘The Dinosaur Artist’ Review: Old Bones Are Big Business," 6 Sep. 2018 Katz brackets the sensuous fruit abstractly, with pendulous flat green shapes masked by striped columns. — Cate Mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "Flattening time’s tides; a ‘Maid’ made in the shade," 30 May 2018 The mystery is bracketed by another quirk: Oddly specific order sizes—many going out to five decimal points, with some repeating frequently. — Matthew Leising, Bloomberg.com, "Crypto Coin Tether Defies Logic on Kraken’s Market, Raising Red Flags," 29 June 2018 On the island’s southwestern face, the Capella hotel is bracketed by Universal Studios Singapore and two golf courses. — Richard C. Paddock, New York Times, "Tightly Guarded, Singapore Battens Down for a Summit Meeting," 8 June 2018 NCAA Division III Championship brackets Some early matches include: Mount Union's Nick Mancini (24-2) is the No. — Branson Wright, cleveland.com, "NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships brackets set," 12 June 2017 Payton’s strong solos on piano and trumpet bracketed an extended bass solo by Spalding that was especially energetic, impassioned, and adept, Carrington accenting her partners’ work throughout with brilliant freestyle drumming. — Bill Beuttler, BostonGlobe.com, "A lot of love in the air as the TEN Trio grooves at Scullers," 1 July 2018 Maeda did not start either of the two games against Oakland earlier this week, a series bracketed by two off days. — Andy Mccullough, latimes.com, "Early struggles doom Dodgers," 14 Apr. 2018 Several taller buildings bracket the site, and the Boston Planning & Development Agency recently approved a 32-story tower atop the Huntington Theatre, one block to the west. — Tim Logan, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston’s retro-style MidTown Hotel may give way to development," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bracket.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.