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
But O'Hara said he's seen no evidence that Pretti brandished a weapon, describing him as someone who appeared to be lawfully recording law enforcement activity while legally carrying a firearm.
—
Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Dressed all in black with his then-signature (pre-pandemic) mask, Bad Bunny stood atop the amplifier and brandished a Puerto Rican flag that included a light blue triangle, a version widely acknowledged as a pro-independence flag.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
Officials did not specify whether Pretti brandished the gun.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2026
Officials did not specify if Pretti brandished the gun.
—Michael Biesecker, Chicago Tribune, 25 Jan. 2026
Bovino did not specify whether a weapon was brandished at the time that his agents say their lives were in danger.
—Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
Officials did not specify if Pretti brandished the gun.
—Michael Biesecker, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2026
Bennet was also reported to have brandished a glass bottle at both Mullan and the woman during the incident.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2026
Nor were the tools ever displayed, much less brandished, as the tabloids suggested.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Dressed all in black with his then-signature (pre-pandemic) mask, Bad Bunny stood atop the amplifier and brandished a Puerto Rican flag that included a light blue triangle, a version widely acknowledged as a pro-independence flag.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
Officials did not specify whether Pretti brandished the gun.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2026
Officials did not specify if Pretti brandished the gun.
—Michael Biesecker, Chicago Tribune, 25 Jan. 2026
Bovino did not specify whether a weapon was brandished at the time that his agents say their lives were in danger.
—Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
Officials did not specify if Pretti brandished the gun.
—Michael Biesecker, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2026
Bennet was also reported to have brandished a glass bottle at both Mullan and the woman during the incident.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2026
Nor were the tools ever displayed, much less brandished, as the tabloids suggested.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandished
waved
Verb
-
Twin waved at them, and finally the police spotted her hiding in plain sight, standing beside her neighbors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Some attendees waved American or Mexican flags.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brandished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandished. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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