as in waved
to put into view in a threatening or excited manner
She brandished a stick at the dog. brandished a petition signed by hundreds of town residents
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Recent Examples of brandished
Police said one in the group also brandished a firearm.
—
Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
In a 2024 Rolling Stone profile, the country-rock singer repeatedlyfired off the N-word and brandished a gun.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2025
Rosen referenced cases where prosecutors sought an order for a man who had posted social-media threats involving the San Jose Convention Center, and for a county employee who openly brandished and racked a handgun at work.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Dowdle hasn’t brandished the chip on his shoulder much publicly this year.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
Prosecutors had previously argued Collins posed a danger for bringing a weapon into a volatile setting, though Kling maintained his client never brandished the firearm.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Video captured at the scene shows chaos, with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police running with firearms brandished in a crowd of people gathered everywhere around the shopping plaza.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 21 Sep. 2025
One of the motorists brandished a weapon and gunshots were fired.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Sep. 2025
Many more incidents are categorized as defensive gun uses—in which a firearm is deployed, or brandished, in order to deter a crime.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
In a 2024 Rolling Stone profile, the country-rock singer repeatedlyfired off the N-word and brandished a gun.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2025
Rosen referenced cases where prosecutors sought an order for a man who had posted social-media threats involving the San Jose Convention Center, and for a county employee who openly brandished and racked a handgun at work.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Dowdle hasn’t brandished the chip on his shoulder much publicly this year.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
Prosecutors had previously argued Collins posed a danger for bringing a weapon into a volatile setting, though Kling maintained his client never brandished the firearm.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Video captured at the scene shows chaos, with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police running with firearms brandished in a crowd of people gathered everywhere around the shopping plaza.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 21 Sep. 2025
One of the motorists brandished a weapon and gunshots were fired.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Sep. 2025
Many more incidents are categorized as defensive gun uses—in which a firearm is deployed, or brandished, in order to deter a crime.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandished
waved
Verb
-
Once the boat was loaded, the man in the white T-shirt waved his arms like a bandleader, leading the migrants in a chant for one of his TikTok promo videos.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Police officers briefly formed a cordon to prevent a surge of protesters after an Israeli flag was reportedly waved by a passer-by.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brandished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandished. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.
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