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
Officers in tactical gear with long guns jumped over tables, brandishing their weapons as the president and other dignitaries, such as Vice President JD Vance, were rushed from the stage.
—
Luke Barr, ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Officials have yet to disclose whether the individual was brandishing the knife at the time of the shooting.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Investigators did not know why the suspect went to Lake Forest after allegedly brandishing the weapon in Rancho Mission Viejo, McCann said.
—Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
The troops climbed a rope ladder to a door in the hull and jumped through, brandishing rifles.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
An arrest warrant is out for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer accused of brandishing a gun at two people on a highway during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, prosecutors said Thursday.
—Sophie Brams, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2026
The teaser then cuts to Abrams' character frantically running, slamming barn doors, and brandishing a shotgun.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Apr. 2026
Delacruz later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of brandishing a weapon and was sentenced to probation, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
The clip captures a solid day of shenanigans, which include dirt-biking, graffitiing, flying a kite, brandishing various plushies and smoke flares, and befriending a herd of sheep.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 7 Apr. 2026
Luke Barr, ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Officials have yet to disclose whether the individual was brandishing the knife at the time of the shooting.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Investigators did not know why the suspect went to Lake Forest after allegedly brandishing the weapon in Rancho Mission Viejo, McCann said.
—Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
The troops climbed a rope ladder to a door in the hull and jumped through, brandishing rifles.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
An arrest warrant is out for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer accused of brandishing a gun at two people on a highway during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, prosecutors said Thursday.
—Sophie Brams, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2026
The teaser then cuts to Abrams' character frantically running, slamming barn doors, and brandishing a shotgun.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Apr. 2026
Delacruz later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of brandishing a weapon and was sentenced to probation, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
The clip captures a solid day of shenanigans, which include dirt-biking, graffitiing, flying a kite, brandishing various plushies and smoke flares, and befriending a herd of sheep.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandishing
Verb
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An official with knowledge of the situation told Northern News Now that an officer responded to reports of a man walking on a sidewalk and waving a gun.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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Kevin Durant waving bye to Deandre Ayton after he was ejected from the game.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Former UConn women’s basketball forward Ice Brady is headed to the ACC out of the transfer portal, announcing her commitment Sunday to Florida State.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The star liked the post announcing the news on Instagram.—
Sarah Sotoodeh,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brandishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandishing. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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