as in intelligence
the ability to learn and understand or to deal with problems
you have the brains to figure out that problem on your own
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Recent Examples of brains
Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 27 Feb. 2026
That doesn’t stop us from playing out the scenario so many times in our brains that the VHS tape starts to wear thin.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
The program has made other discoveries related to such exceptionally healthy older brains, from personality traits to neurological anomalies.
—Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026
Since avian flu turned eggs into a luxury item, pastry chef Annie Clemmons has spent countless hours in her Maryland workshop, racking her brains about how to replace them in her recipes.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
People aren’t using their brains.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
With a simple glance or curl of the lip, our brains learn more about a character than five pages of a dialogue ever could tell us.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 25 Feb. 2026
Results showed two types of cells, astrocytes and CA1 neurons, were key drivers for memory retention in the brains of SuperAgers.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
Also, Joe was loving his tribe, highlighting the attributes of the cast with a combination of strength and brains.
—Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
The brains behind Ponce City Market will help tackle the long-struggling site … and attempt to lure an NHL team to town.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 27 Feb. 2026
That doesn’t stop us from playing out the scenario so many times in our brains that the VHS tape starts to wear thin.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
The program has made other discoveries related to such exceptionally healthy older brains, from personality traits to neurological anomalies.
—Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026
Since avian flu turned eggs into a luxury item, pastry chef Annie Clemmons has spent countless hours in her Maryland workshop, racking her brains about how to replace them in her recipes.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
People aren’t using their brains.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
With a simple glance or curl of the lip, our brains learn more about a character than five pages of a dialogue ever could tell us.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 25 Feb. 2026
Results showed two types of cells, astrocytes and CA1 neurons, were key drivers for memory retention in the brains of SuperAgers.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
Also, Joe was loving his tribe, highlighting the attributes of the cast with a combination of strength and brains.
—Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brains
Noun
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Of what could be seen, however, open source intelligence analysts identified the IRIS Sahand, IRIS Sabalan, and IRIS Zagros as damaged, and the IRIS Makran as heavily damaged.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Mar. 2026
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According to data from air cargo market intelligence firm Rotate published Sunday, the airspace closures in the Middle East resulted in an 18 percent week-over-week decline in available global air cargo capacity.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Established in 1913 as a Milanese leather goods atelier and reimagined decades later by then-daughter, Miuccia Prada, the brand speaks not just to a woman’s vanity, but to her intellect.—
Christina Holevas,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Does this sound like a trivial use of the human intellect?—
Paul Keane,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The couple said their now 15-year-old daughter is slowly rebuilding her sense of safety.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
And there’s a sense of urgency that people feel to get back into life, do things right, and be more present.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And geography proved important when Leroy and Jarzyna looked for reasons why so many bird species are shrinking ever faster.—
Seth Borenstein,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The reason CrowdStrike shares are down 16% this year, alongside many other enterprise software companies, is that some investors believe that large language models (LLMs), with their rapidly improving capabilities, will one day displace even the best traditional cybersecurity vendors.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These are in addition to private members clubs The Wilde and Cipriani, among other highlights.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Shane Stant clubs Kerrigan on the knee and flees the scene.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
To understand what’s next, follow the flow of money and brainpower.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
9 Dec. 2025
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But the Lambert High School team had advantages, beyond audacity and brainpower.—
Bill Whitaker,
CBS News,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But hamate surgery often saps a hitter of power, something Lindor, Carroll and Holliday were expected to supply in 2026.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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An overreliance on tools weakens our civilization (and saps the film’s dramatic thrills).—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brains. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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