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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in summary
a short statement of the main points
a one-page brief of the intelligence report
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Juliana Kim, NPR, 26 Aug. 2025
Last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Progress each filed an amicus curiae brief in an ongoing lawsuit between the NRF and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 26 Aug. 2025
Dave Smith, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2025
To meet the brief of taking riders farther, Yamaha feeds the 1.9-L high-output engine from a 100-L fuel tank for plenty of on-water range.
—New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2025
Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
For instance, a seal on the vehicle’s Raptor engines began to fail after SpaceX started adding more propellant on later flights, according to a person briefed on the matter who was not authorized to discuss the program’s inner workings publicly.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brief
Adjective
But these storms are typically brief, lasting between 10 to 30 minutes.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 26 Aug. 2025
Last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Progress each filed an amicus curiae brief in an ongoing lawsuit between the NRF and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
Using a phone-tracking app, Kemp located and briefly tried to talk to the driver of the 4Runner that was circling a casino parking lot, according to the trial brief.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2025
To meet the brief of taking riders farther, Yamaha feeds the 1.9-L high-output engine from a 100-L fuel tank for plenty of on-water range.
—New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
In another funny photo, Cruz posed with his hands on his hips in a pair of white Prada briefs on the yacht — a hilarious remake of the same shot of his dad rocking the same underwear while on vacation in Positano in 2024.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
For instance, a seal on the vehicle’s Raptor engines began to fail after SpaceX started adding more propellant on later flights, according to a person briefed on the matter who was not authorized to discuss the program’s inner workings publicly.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
McVey, 28, has reaped a personal bonus from the concise coaching: he’s been freed up to develop his game by not having to direct traffic as much.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Then draft a concise, personalized cover letter highlighting my strongest fit points.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The louder the sound, the shorter amount of time a person should be exposed to it.—
Beth Warren,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
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The Elevated Velocity’s profile ― long hood, spacious interior, short rear overhang, fastback rear end ― is consistent with the current Cadillac Lyriq and Celestiq.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Thursday's weekly jobless claims numbers and S&P Global's flash PMI data will be closely assessed to gauge economic health in the wake of tariff uncertainties.—
Nikhil Sharma,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
-
Focus now shifts to Thursday’s weekly jobless claims numbers and S&P Global’s flash PMI data to gauge economic health in the wake of tariff uncertainties.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
According to a 2021 summary of the PREP program, 1,421 Wisconsin youths attended at least one program and nearly 1,100 completed two-thirds of the sessions.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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The suit also alleges that the question that voters will see on their ballots (called a summary statement) and the language posted at polling places (called fair ballot language) are misleading and written to encourage voters to vote in favor of banning abortions.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The mission: save earth’s most precious energy source, butterflies, from an evil AI bot.—
Bryan West,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Kelley and her team are in the middle of a maintanence mission, working nearly 24 hours a day for weeks to recover and restore the instruments that keep tabs on the volcano, which scientists believe will erupt in 2025.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Officials interviewed Johnson and later charged him after consulting with the Rockingham County District Attorney’s Office. 'Be vigilant and involved in monitoring cell phone and internet usage,' NC sheriff says Authorities said the victim's parents have been informed of the situation.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
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For institutional and retail clients alike, that means strategies informed by real-time intelligence rather than backward-looking assumptions.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
These devices transcribe the people around you, and often summarize your day, with the ability to extrapolate tasks and insights from your conversations.—
Julian Chokkattu,
Wired News,
23 Aug. 2025
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In addition, a 2023 study in the journal of HealthCare summarized how gambling among college students is associated with poor academic performance, violence, substance use, mental health symptoms, and even suicide.—
Eric Wood,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In an environment like that of Gaza today, where most people live in tents or shelters with very little clean water, and with much of the sewage system destroyed, illness is rife and people with weakened immunity are at even greater risk, all the aid agencies said.—
Dawoud Abu Alkas,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
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His criticism has continued, including in recent days In an interview that aired Wednesday on NPR, Bolton said little has changed in bringing an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, pointing to Trump’s efforts to secure a Nobel Peace Prize as the president’s motivation to end the conflict.—
Corey Williams,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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