brushstroke

noun

brush·​stroke ˈbrəsh-ˌstrōk 

: the configuration given to paint by contact with the bristles of a brush

also : the paint left on a surface by a single application of a brush or palette knife

—often used figuratively to describe the quality especially of a narrative or description

a story told in broad brushstrokes

Examples of brushstroke in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For Ment, this was his first project after a health treatment, and the emotional depth is tangible in every brushstroke, curve and color choice. —Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025

Every hammer swing, every brushstroke, every late night—this building has been a true labor of love. —Charna Flam, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025

The actual work of art, with its totemic aura, its visible brushstrokes, perhaps with the fingerprints of the artist embedded somewhere in its paint, was right in front of me. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025

American leaders and commentators often portrayed international adversaries in unflattering and discursive brushstrokes. —Time, 8 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brushstroke

• awoke
• baroque
• bespoke
• colloque
• convoke
• evoke
• invoke
• keystroke
• kinfolk
• kinsfolk
• menfolk
• provoke