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
Alicia Garceau, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
For the big brains at Pixar, always up for a conceptual challenge, interspecies communication is not a given to be embraced but a problem to be solved.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Myrna is the brains behind the duo but gets none of the credit.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2026
Johnson hopes her son could be helped by a prescription drug called leucovorin, which may help some children who have abnormally low levels of the vitamin folate in their brains.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Is this just nostalgia or our brains and bodies pushing back against digital overload?
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Keep your points short and focused Our brains can only hold a limited amount of information at once — roughly four key ideas.
—Kathy and Ross Petrass, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
In the jubilant Dodger dugout, Roberts held his hands to the side of his head, as if keeping his brains from exploding.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
Can the same approach work to rewire the brains of teenagers who have grown up with tech and ultraprocessed foods?
—Alicia Garceau, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
For the big brains at Pixar, always up for a conceptual challenge, interspecies communication is not a given to be embraced but a problem to be solved.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Myrna is the brains behind the duo but gets none of the credit.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2026
Johnson hopes her son could be helped by a prescription drug called leucovorin, which may help some children who have abnormally low levels of the vitamin folate in their brains.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Is this just nostalgia or our brains and bodies pushing back against digital overload?
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Keep your points short and focused Our brains can only hold a limited amount of information at once — roughly four key ideas.
—Kathy and Ross Petrass, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
In the jubilant Dodger dugout, Roberts held his hands to the side of his head, as if keeping his brains from exploding.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brains
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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 small, walkable village of Tubac is the ideal destination for a day trip or weekend getaway, one with dozens of unique galleries that embrace a sense of place in the Sonoran Desert.—
Molly Allen,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
But there was something profound about the sense of connection and engagement that all kinds of writing gave him.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 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
-
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
-
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 9 Mar. 2026.
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