1
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
a brief but crucial admonition to keep quiet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in short
not lasting for a considerable time
fortunately, the meeting was brief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flash
lasting only for a short time
a brief flash of light
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in summary
a short statement of the main points
a one-page brief of the intelligence report
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mission
a specific task with which a person or group is charged
the soldiers' brief was to secure the village from enemy attacks
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to inform
to give information to
the lieutenant briefed his superior officers on the state of the enemy's fortifications
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to summarize
to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report)
his duties include briefing intelligence reports for the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brief
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Those early experiences taught him how to interpret technical specifications, identify problems from brief descriptions, and prioritize reliable service to keep projects on track.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
In an April 2, 2021, amicus brief, Raffensperger, represented by the state attorney general, argued ballots must remain sealed under Georgia’s Elections Code and warned that allowing the public to handle physical ballots could constitute a felony under state law.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2025
Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
On October 21, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin was reportedly briefed that a Burevestnik missile had flown for 15 hours, covering roughly 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) while powered by a compact onboard reactor.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brief
Adjective
Kenvue has spent a relatively brief period as an independent company, having been spun off by Johnson & Johnson two years ago.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Those early experiences taught him how to interpret technical specifications, identify problems from brief descriptions, and prioritize reliable service to keep projects on track.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
The yoga instructor, reality star, and wife of Alec Baldwin opened up about her brief, but memorable time on season 34 of the reality competition series on Monday's episode of Tori Spelling's MisSPELLING podcast.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
In an April 2, 2021, amicus brief, Raffensperger, represented by the state attorney general, argued ballots must remain sealed under Georgia’s Elections Code and warned that allowing the public to handle physical ballots could constitute a felony under state law.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
At a press conference at the airport in the Dominican Republic, Lopez briefed the secretary in front of the press.
—Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
On October 21, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin was reportedly briefed that a Burevestnik missile had flown for 15 hours, covering roughly 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) while powered by a compact onboard reactor.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
Full color pages, informative charts and concise articles also set the outlet apart from others.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Nor does the starring vehicle for Alexandra Daddario offer a concise, specific take to differentiate itself from Rice’s original — its own version of making Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) a Black man who falls in love with his maker.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Pierre was short, with a white beard and flamboyant wild hair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
These bacteria ferment or break down prebiotics, releasing compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Campaign ads, showing images of flash-mob robberies, promised voters that harsher penalties would put an end to basic items being locked away in display cases and funnel people repeatedly arrested for drug offenses in treatment.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
And many supermarkets offer bags of flash-frozen cranberries year-round.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Users will be able to access their Wrapped summary through a pop-up in the Spotify app once it is released.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The summaries below were drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Arkansas Insurance Department's primary mission is to protect consumers and ensure the financial stability of insurers, according to the release.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Nov. 2025
-
In 2024, SpaceX launched 138 missions, 134 of them orbital and the other four Starship test flights.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
According to Philadelphia magazine, the dismissal took place via an email in which she was informed that she was being terminated for cause.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The same year, California also banned the use of simulated fire in active shooter drills and required that parents be informed that a drill is taking place.—
Alana Semuels,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
This Batul Hassan piece in Jacobin summarizes some of Mamdani’s more popular plans.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The resulting feature was published on March 14, 2022, publicly summarizing the case for the first time in years and providing Army CID contact information.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Wet and dry fronts, prevailing winds, moisture and vapour, meeting, as luck would have it, exactly at the top of that big mountain on the little island.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
But the shutdown has turned most parks into ghost towns, with little to no staffing or access to amenities and facilities.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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