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
The San Jose Police Department said officers responded to a report of a disturbance involving a weapon and determined that a person had brandished a box cutter at several people in the parking area.
—
Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Grimes brandished a gun, and Northington and Hyman robbed the store, taking money from the cash register.
—Lily Carey, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2026
So, per the rulebook, referee Slavko Vinčić brandished his yellow card to Camavinga.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Upon arrival, officers determined that one of the suspects brandished an AK-47 style rifle, while the second suspect brandished a handgun.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Authorities said when the driver refused to take them to a specific location, one of the men allegedly brandished a gun and forcibly removed him from the vehicle.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Israel’s firebrand minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who spearheaded the push for the legislation, brandished a bottle in celebration.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
As the argument heated up, Chino brandished a hammer and hit his victim over the head with it, witnesses told police.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
For one, the arm on the Bendos was fashioned to hold a pipe, not an ax like the other Muffler Men, and instead of a classic Bunyan knit cap, the Bendos brandished a full head of hair.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 25 Mar. 2026
Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Grimes brandished a gun, and Northington and Hyman robbed the store, taking money from the cash register.
—Lily Carey, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2026
So, per the rulebook, referee Slavko Vinčić brandished his yellow card to Camavinga.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Upon arrival, officers determined that one of the suspects brandished an AK-47 style rifle, while the second suspect brandished a handgun.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Authorities said when the driver refused to take them to a specific location, one of the men allegedly brandished a gun and forcibly removed him from the vehicle.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Israel’s firebrand minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who spearheaded the push for the legislation, brandished a bottle in celebration.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
As the argument heated up, Chino brandished a hammer and hit his victim over the head with it, witnesses told police.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
For one, the arm on the Bendos was fashioned to hold a pipe, not an ax like the other Muffler Men, and instead of a classic Bunyan knit cap, the Bendos brandished a full head of hair.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandished
waved
Verb
-
Ahmad Lahham, 48, waved the yellow Hezbollah flag standing on a mountain of rubble that used to be his apartment building, which had also housed a branch of Hezbollah’s financial arm, Al-Qard Al-Hassan.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Curry had two 3-pointers (one made, the other hit the rim) waved off because of offensive fouls that would have tied the score at 48 in the second quarter, prompting Kerr and Green to engage the referees in lengthy conversations.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brandished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandished. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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