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 suspects entered the business, brandished guns at an employee and demanded money, Shih said.
—
Jason Green, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
Illinois State Police said the driver brandished a gun and then fled in the vehicle.
—Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Chatrie handed a teller a note demanding money, brandished a silver-and-black pistol and left with $195,000.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
Fast forward five minutes, and our waiter brandished a new bottle ready for pouring, leaving us stuffed and happy.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 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
Jason Green, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
Illinois State Police said the driver brandished a gun and then fled in the vehicle.
—Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Chatrie handed a teller a note demanding money, brandished a silver-and-black pistol and left with $195,000.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
Fast forward five minutes, and our waiter brandished a new bottle ready for pouring, leaving us stuffed and happy.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandished
waved
Verb
-
Anti-Israel agitators clashed with law enforcement outside a Manhattan synagogue on Tuesday night as pro-Israel demonstrators waved Israeli and American flags nearby.—
Anders Hagstrom,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
And we were also really waved off from having a strong opinion by CBS.—
Lacey Rose,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brandished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandished. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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