as in waves
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 brandishes
No Elliot Stabler wannabe brandishes fists in her face.
—
Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Christa gleefully brandishes a page she’s ripped out of the phonebook that has her childhood address on it.
—Hazlitt, 10 Dec. 2025
Harrelson brandishes that anything-goes leer that never gets old.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025
The actor playing Brown wears a red hooded sweatshirt and brandishes a pocket knife similar to the one police say Brown used to fatally stab Zarutska.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025
When a trompo taco is ordered, a cook brandishes a knife of ferocious sharpness, shaving a thin, broad piece large enough to overhang the corn tortilla it’s laid upon.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Christa gleefully brandishes a page she’s ripped out of the phonebook that has her childhood address on it.
—Hazlitt, 10 Dec. 2025
Harrelson brandishes that anything-goes leer that never gets old.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025
The actor playing Brown wears a red hooded sweatshirt and brandishes a pocket knife similar to the one police say Brown used to fatally stab Zarutska.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025
When a trompo taco is ordered, a cook brandishes a knife of ferocious sharpness, shaving a thin, broad piece large enough to overhang the corn tortilla it’s laid upon.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandishes
Verb
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Prime Minister-elect Peter Magyar waves a Hungarian flag after delivering his victory speech in Budapest on Sunday.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
-
At the end of the video, Williams proposes to Laufey as her guest stars watch on with vacant expressions — even as the Grammy winner waves her hands in front of their faces.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces new rules for the upcoming season, and this year, much of the focus is on AI.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
1 May 2026
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As IndieWire exclusively announces, the new program is designed to identify and elevate a single emerging filmmaker with a distinct creative voice worth championing today.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Vine also advertises free customer service from actual humans for installation issues.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Herz releases regular videos on her store’s Facebook page that advertises new offerings and vendors at her store.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The winger does well initially to sit his defender down but then produces a tame effort right at David Raya in goal.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The massive rocket produces nearly 17 million pounds of thrust on liftoff, and produces or more potent sonic boom when its booster returns to the launch site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brandishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandishes. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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