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
Deborah Vankin, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
While executives like Benioff tout AI’s ability to free up humans for higher-level tasks, Morin said the boring, repetitive, tasks that office workers complete daily are necessary to give our brains a break.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
For most of the season, Hannah and Owen have suspected that Quinn, who runs a financial firm stateside, is the real brains to the Campano organization, not Teddy.
—Max Gao, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
Every 90 minutes, our bodies go paralyzed while our brains become more active than during waking life.
—Big Think, 9 Apr. 2026
The only way to disagree with that is if someone served up your own brains at dinner, too.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
And there’s a lot that our brains have to process.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2026
And, our brains naturally associate sharpness with danger, which can disturb a room's peaceful energy.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Apr. 2026
During games, Vucevic would pick the brains of assistant coaches DJ MacLeay and Tony Dobbins about defensive coverages and matchup nuances.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Noun
Ultimately, Turner says, young people are resilient — their brains are still growing — and intentional parenting goes a long way toward offsetting the effects of digital devices and social media.
—Deborah Vankin, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
While executives like Benioff tout AI’s ability to free up humans for higher-level tasks, Morin said the boring, repetitive, tasks that office workers complete daily are necessary to give our brains a break.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
For most of the season, Hannah and Owen have suspected that Quinn, who runs a financial firm stateside, is the real brains to the Campano organization, not Teddy.
—Max Gao, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
Every 90 minutes, our bodies go paralyzed while our brains become more active than during waking life.
—Big Think, 9 Apr. 2026
The only way to disagree with that is if someone served up your own brains at dinner, too.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
And there’s a lot that our brains have to process.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2026
And, our brains naturally associate sharpness with danger, which can disturb a room's peaceful energy.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Apr. 2026
During games, Vucevic would pick the brains of assistant coaches DJ MacLeay and Tony Dobbins about defensive coverages and matchup nuances.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brains
Noun
-
The military had recourse to Claude via a drop-down menu in a workflow package, the Maven Smart System, which gathers, synthesizes, and streamlines intelligence.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The package includes long-range strike drones, intelligence and reconnaissance drones, logistics drones and maritime capabilities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ball will play the middle son, Cary, who inherited his mom’s razor-sharp wit and intellect.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Regardless of their work ethic, intellect and creativity, capital has always exploited them but never been willing to partner with them.—
Jacob Walthour,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The story is something of a palimpsest, with Romvari’s own perspective intertwining with the character’s and conveying a sense of being both inside and outside the action.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
What’s left is a false sense of urgency that will lead to a budget finalized mostly in the dark, with too many decisions made by staffers and lobbyists.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The reason many of the remaining adults on Medicaid are not working is that they are retired, serving as a caregiver, or too sick, KFF has found.—
Samantha Liss,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Humans are in the loop for a reason.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 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
-
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 18 Apr. 2026.
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