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
When a mysterious man in a Hawaiian shirt (Joseph Tudisco) comes up behind Ron brandishing a pipe, the show’s right to take its mood so seriously — even about something as potentially trivial as chairs, and even about a protagonist as potentially trivial as Ron.
—
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 9 June 2026
In the Menil work, the central character is an artist brandishing a bouquet of colored pencils, surrounded by a seraphic tumble of monochrome extras that are her handiwork.
—Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Her description of the deceased Alex Pretti brandishing a gun that threatened the lives of Border Patrol officers was quickly debunked, with several videos showing how he was killed despite posing no threat.
—Sheldon Jacobson, Twin Cities, 2 June 2026
Loyalty is displayed by wearing club or country colors, kits, jerseys, and badges and brandishing flags and banners.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 June 2026
The suspect was originally arrested Monday by the Chico Police Department for criminal threats, false imprisonment and brandishing a weapon.
—Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
Chaney was seen brandishing a handgun with an extended drum magazine from the SUV and firing several times at the Mercedes, police said.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
After Clemson Cockfield and Lopez approached him brandishing a piece of wood, Piedra reacted by stabbing Lopez in the torso and head, according to court filings.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 26 May 2026
In January, a protester scaled the balcony of the Iranian embassy in London, pulling down the official national flag and brandishing the pre-revolution lion and sun flag.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 9 June 2026
In the Menil work, the central character is an artist brandishing a bouquet of colored pencils, surrounded by a seraphic tumble of monochrome extras that are her handiwork.
—Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Her description of the deceased Alex Pretti brandishing a gun that threatened the lives of Border Patrol officers was quickly debunked, with several videos showing how he was killed despite posing no threat.
—Sheldon Jacobson, Twin Cities, 2 June 2026
Loyalty is displayed by wearing club or country colors, kits, jerseys, and badges and brandishing flags and banners.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 June 2026
The suspect was originally arrested Monday by the Chico Police Department for criminal threats, false imprisonment and brandishing a weapon.
—Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
Chaney was seen brandishing a handgun with an extended drum magazine from the SUV and firing several times at the Mercedes, police said.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
After Clemson Cockfield and Lopez approached him brandishing a piece of wood, Piedra reacted by stabbing Lopez in the torso and head, according to court filings.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 26 May 2026
In January, a protester scaled the balcony of the Iranian embassy in London, pulling down the official national flag and brandishing the pre-revolution lion and sun flag.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandishing
Verb
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Or maybe the big beach at Laguna after waving to The Greeter, with an hour during the late afternoon to browse the Pottery Shack with Mom.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
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Her mother, Tamara Reed-Holman — who qualified for state in four events for Decatur McArthur in 1990 and ran for Illinois State — was in the crowd at O’Brien Field in Charleston waving back.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
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To jumpstart the week of sessions and forums centered around technology and design, Apple will host a keynote presentation, announcing the latest software and products coming to users.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
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The Chicago Bears appeared to take another step toward leaving Chicago on Friday, announcing that their board of directors met and voted to advance a stadium development project in Hammond, Ind.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brandishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandishing. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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