as in gall
shameless boldness
for sheer brashness it would be hard to beat the customer who wanted a refund on merchandise bought elsewhere
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Recent Examples of brashness
The México 86 producers set out to capture the music, fashions and general brashness of the era.
—
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Carolina did make one addition, trading for fighter Nic Deslauriers, but the brashness the Hurricanes’ front office has shown in recent years didn’t lead to the type of headline-making move seen in recent seasons.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
In recent years, Ye’s irreverence and brashness shifted into something darker and far more dangerous.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
Given his father’s reputation for brashness, many people told me they were surprised by how nice David is.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Intrigued by the letter’s brashness, Steve Rifkin, whose Loud Records handled clients including Wu-Tang Clan and Akon, hired the teenager.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, the austerity and elegance of the downstairs dining room acts as a dampener, hushing the salad’s brashness and sapping much of the fun.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
Macelaru and pianist Grimaud seem to glory in the brashness of them.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Oct. 2025
Vulgarity, in this case, isn’t a matter of language, but of brashness, tastelessness and lack of delicacy.
—Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 May 2021
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Carolina did make one addition, trading for fighter Nic Deslauriers, but the brashness the Hurricanes’ front office has shown in recent years didn’t lead to the type of headline-making move seen in recent seasons.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
In recent years, Ye’s irreverence and brashness shifted into something darker and far more dangerous.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
Given his father’s reputation for brashness, many people told me they were surprised by how nice David is.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Intrigued by the letter’s brashness, Steve Rifkin, whose Loud Records handled clients including Wu-Tang Clan and Akon, hired the teenager.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, the austerity and elegance of the downstairs dining room acts as a dampener, hushing the salad’s brashness and sapping much of the fun.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
Macelaru and pianist Grimaud seem to glory in the brashness of them.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Oct. 2025
Vulgarity, in this case, isn’t a matter of language, but of brashness, tastelessness and lack of delicacy.
—Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brashness
Noun
-
Larvae emerge inside the galls and eat from the plant in winter.—
Teresa Woodard,
Midwest Living,
21 Apr. 2026
-
To no one’s surprise, Axios reported last week that Republicans have the gall to consider more stealing from health care and day care to pay for a budget bill containing as much as $200 billion to fund the Iran war and immigration enforcement.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
If nerves come up, that’s part of the process, not a reason to stop.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Alan retired from performing in 1987 after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease that causes breakdown of the protective covering of nerves.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While their energies differ, nearly all of them share the same basic drives (money, power, status) and the same fundamental flaws (greed, arrogance, selfishness).—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Their defensive style can look like arrogance or hostility.—
Paul Sanchez Ruiz,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Not four years ago, Crocker remembers walking into the Superdome for the 2022 Final Four, in awe of the audacity of the event.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Moreover, currently sitting at 85 percent on the Tomatometer, reviews for The Drama have been generally good with some critics praising director Kristoffer Borgli’s audacity and the movie’s deliberate provocations as a means of addressing the messy current cultural moment.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But after being shunned by head coach Thomas Frank, his confidence looks low, a state of mind that wasn’t helped by putting his penalty over the bar in Wales’ World Cup play-off shootout defeat by Bosnia & Herzegovina in March.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The Magic will need to continue to play with a high level of confidence Wednesday night for Game 2.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But Motta, with a brazenness that had become her signature, kept taking on new clients.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The spectacle comported with the prevailing views of this ensemble’s antisemitism, but its sheer brazenness catapulted them to a new level of mainstream notoriety.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brashness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brashness. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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