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
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 27 June 2025
That trough has allowed the marine level to expand after its brief stints of compression and brings down temperatures, Gass said.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
Cathy Bussewitz, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
The impact of amicus briefs is thus at the discretion of the court.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 June 2025
June 23, CBS News, 23 June 2025
But both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune said they were briefed ahead of the strikes on Saturday, according to people familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for brief
Adjective
Earlier this year, Schmidt sold his sprawling Atherton estate for $22.5 million after a brief market appearance.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 27 June 2025
That trough has allowed the marine level to expand after its brief stints of compression and brings down temperatures, Gass said.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
Noun
The attorneys general of 20 states filed an amicus brief supporting the group’s motion for a preliminary injunction in the case.
—Cathy Bussewitz, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
The impact of amicus briefs is thus at the discretion of the court.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 June 2025
Verb
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said Monday afternoon that he still hasn't been briefed by the White House.
—June 23, CBS News, 23 June 2025
But both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune said they were briefed ahead of the strikes on Saturday, according to people familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
This epic yet concise 90-minute local history melange is told through short vignettes.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
25 June 2025
-
Complex questions produced up to six times more carbon dioxide emissions than questions with concise answers.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
For short or light exercise, plain water is usually the best choice.75 Many people use Gatorade to hydrate after being sick.—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
1 July 2025
-
To prove their point that filmmaking is an outstanding creative process, and can be done with no money, the sisters shot their first ever short film in a hot air balloon, 2000 meters up in the air.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Don’t let the lack of flash fool you — this guy is the real deal.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
The Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2025
-
The German figures come a day before the scheduled release of flash inflation data for the euro area, which will be closely watched by investors for guidance on the odds of another interest rate cut from the European Central Bank.—
Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
That includes Call Notes (an automatic summary of your phone call), and support for the Pixel Screenshots app.—
Julian Chokkattu,
Wired News,
10 July 2025
-
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Miami Herald newsroom.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
The mission seems to remain the same, but does anything change as far as the mentality creating over the years?—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
1 July 2025
-
Its mission is to mentor high school students from Albania and other underrepresented communities, and provide support with the college application process.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
Some of his friends are aware, and Mayer spoke with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to inform him of the campaign only the day prior, out of courtesy.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
-
In May, an American Airlines plane canceled its takeoff at Washington National after it was informed that an aircraft was landing on an intersecting runway.—
Beck Andrew Salgado,
Austin American Statesman,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
The motive can be summarized as pure agency, pure evil; in other words, premeditated murder.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
4 July 2025
-
This week's Think Texas column summarizes her work.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
This time, however, the mound visit had little effect.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 July 2025
-
But most of the middle part is missing, and there’s little to explain how the event unfolded from one stage to the next.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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