brush-off

noun

ˈbrəsh-ˌȯf 

: a quietly curt or disdainful dismissal

Synonyms of brush-off

• dismissal
• rebuff
• rejection
• snub

Examples of brush-off in a Sentence

the mayor tends to give anyone under voting age the brush-off

Recent Examples on the Web

With the Red Sox trailing after losing the opener of the best-of-three Wild Card Series against the Yankees 9-0, Gray will face a fan base on Wednesday night that gave him the Bronx brush-off in 2017 and 2018. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Advertisement In response to which Thune had a polite brush-off. — Philip Elliott, Time, 29 July 2026

The comment has done little to settle the debate, with fans remaining divided on whether to take her denial seriously or read it as a playful brush-off. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026

But his subtle brush-off of Collins is a sign of the cocky and brash kid already beginning to emerge — the same one who could cut down people down to size on his way to redefining himself and jolting both the New York folk scene and the world of pop at large. — David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brush-off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

brush-off

noun

ˈbrəsh-ˌȯf

: rude treatment or behavior by someone who is not interested at all in what another person wants or asks for