as in waving
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 brandishing
After a terrifying 15-minute drive that ended in a cornfield, the driver — brandishing a knife and a gun — tied the girls’ hands.
—
Johnny Dodd, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024
According to a news release, Davis exited the truck while brandishing a shotgun and an ax and advanced toward officers, who then fatally shot him.
—Daniel McFadin, arkansasonline.com, 20 Dec. 2024
The primary suspect in the Thompson assassination is a young man of great privilege, a tech whiz with a promising future now ended by allegedly brandishing a ghost gun outside a New York hotel and taking Thompson’s life.
—Steven Gaydos, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024
Officers arrived on the scene and found Padilla brandishing a knife and pointing it at them.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 18 Dec. 2024
The trailer teases infighting among the new guests, threats of violence from a man in a mask brandishing a gun and a person falling off a boat.
—Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
There was no indication from BART that the officers who confronted her on the night of the shooting were aware of the warrants, which were related to 2023 cases where Gao was accused of brandishing weapons on two separate occasions.
—Kyle Martin, The Mercury News, 13 Dec. 2024
Notah was indicted on one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
—Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2024
Flores then hopped out of the back seat — brandishing a gun and wearing a ski mask — and attempted to grab the suitcase from the owner.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 27 Nov. 2024
Johnny Dodd, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024
According to a news release, Davis exited the truck while brandishing a shotgun and an ax and advanced toward officers, who then fatally shot him.
—Daniel McFadin, arkansasonline.com, 20 Dec. 2024
The primary suspect in the Thompson assassination is a young man of great privilege, a tech whiz with a promising future now ended by allegedly brandishing a ghost gun outside a New York hotel and taking Thompson’s life.
—Steven Gaydos, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024
Officers arrived on the scene and found Padilla brandishing a knife and pointing it at them.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 18 Dec. 2024
The trailer teases infighting among the new guests, threats of violence from a man in a mask brandishing a gun and a person falling off a boat.
—Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
There was no indication from BART that the officers who confronted her on the night of the shooting were aware of the warrants, which were related to 2023 cases where Gao was accused of brandishing weapons on two separate occasions.
—Kyle Martin, The Mercury News, 13 Dec. 2024
Notah was indicted on one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
—Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2024
Flores then hopped out of the back seat — brandishing a gun and wearing a ski mask — and attempted to grab the suitcase from the owner.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 27 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandishing
announcing
Verb
-
Parton released the song shortly after announcing the passing of her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died at the age of 82.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
Notable events that have occurred – and have realistically overshadowed some technical releases from the OCC – include the forming of a strategic bitcoin reserve, announcing plans to amend tax treatment for cryptoassets, and a complete overhaul of crypto policy at the SEC.—
Sean Stein Smith,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brandishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandishing. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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