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
Ron Smiley, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Over a lifetime, filmmaker Lynne Sachs has collected business cards—mementos of brief exchanges with strangers—and selects seven to uncover why these moments have lingered so vividly in her memory.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
A.d. Carson, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
Lawyers have filed briefs with hallucinated case citations.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 6 May 2026
Trump says he's been briefed on the concept of a deal, and Iranians will give him the exact wording soon.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for brief
Adjective
This time, the warm-up was brief.
—Ron Smiley, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Over a lifetime, filmmaker Lynne Sachs has collected business cards—mementos of brief exchanges with strangers—and selects seven to uncover why these moments have lingered so vividly in her memory.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Noun
Dennis and Nielson, who’s a signatory on one of the amicus briefs that was filed in support of Broadnax, maintain a database of over 800 cases in which lyrics have been used as evidence.
—A.d. Carson, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
Lawyers have filed briefs with hallucinated case citations.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Verb
Mythos is being tested and used by some federal agencies, while the company has briefed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
—Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 6 May 2026
Trump says he's been briefed on the concept of a deal, and Iranians will give him the exact wording soon.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
Emery was swift and concise with his words afterwards.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
While Mama was able to quickly identify the issue, Crocker says a concise web search also works.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Momager Kris Jenner joined her daughter, who also showcased a different hair look with a short bob and bangs.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
5 May 2026
-
And its other selections all boast skill sets that can help the team in the short and long term.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The heaviest rain has shifted eastward, with the island of Molokai under a flash-flood warning on Sunday.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Kansas City will go from springlike warmth to winter fast as a powerful storm sweeps through Sunday, bringing damaging winds, a rapid temperature plunge with flash-freeze risk, and a quick burst of snow that could cut visibility, according to the National Weather Service.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Sample ballot The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram staff,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 May 2026
-
But the summary lacks any kind of detailed explanation of which tests were run and under what conditions.—
Cyrus Farivar,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Peter Sutherland is about to embark on his final mission as The Night Agent.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
4 May 2026
-
Stars of the original musical, like Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, as well as creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, return home from their mission in Hollywood.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, said Kyiv had informed Israeli authorities about the vessels in advance.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Luckily, the hunters brought the deer to a butcher who then informed EnCon police.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That makes Dispatch useful for reviewing different proposals, comparing contracts, or summarizing research.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Here’s the five-day forecast for Broward and Palm Beach counties, summarized by AI based on information from the National Weather Service.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rust spores overwinter in leaf debris and infect new foliage in spring with as little as two to four hours of moisture.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
But certain elements of the package, such as a proposal to expand mayoral authority, received little direct attention during Thursday’s public comment.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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