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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flash
lasting only for a short time
a brief flash of light
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in summary
a short statement of the main points
a one-page brief of the intelligence report
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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
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1
as in to inform
to give information to
the lieutenant briefed his superior officers on the state of the enemy's fortifications
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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
Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Haney played two brief recordings of Rinderknecht calling 911 to report the fire.
—Sierra Van Der Brug, Daily News, 10 June 2026
Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 June 2026
The brief would endorse the NCAA’s legal position and maintain that Sorsby’s eligibility undermines important values in collegiate sports.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 June 2026
Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 12 June 2026
Tangent Pulte reportedly called former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Tuesday and told her to vacate the role immediately, Axios reported, citing anonymous sources briefed on the discussion.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for brief
Adjective
According to The Athletic, the NHL Players Association has asked the NHL to conduct an investigation into Babcock's brief 2023 stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets if the Oilers are looking to put pen to paper on a deal with the Stanley Cup-winning coach.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Haney played two brief recordings of Rinderknecht calling 911 to report the fire.
—Sierra Van Der Brug, Daily News, 10 June 2026
Noun
Within that environment, Glenister said the agents support different stakeholders across the sourcing process—from design teams exploring new materials, to sourcing managers evaluating feasibility, to suppliers responding to briefs and providing data.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 June 2026
The brief would endorse the NCAA’s legal position and maintain that Sorsby’s eligibility undermines important values in collegiate sports.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 June 2026
Verb
In a separate incident, on Thursday, authorities in Myanmar detained an American businessman who ran a security consultancy there, according to people who were briefed on the incident.
—Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 12 June 2026
Tangent Pulte reportedly called former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Tuesday and told her to vacate the role immediately, Axios reported, citing anonymous sources briefed on the discussion.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
The vision is concise and confident for a restaurant that opened in April.—
Jessi Roti,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
5 June 2026
-
That’s some clear, concise handiwork for an 11-year-old.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
The resort's short course, The Clutch, takes full advantage of the scenic setting, and fishing charters and nature tours are available from the marina.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
All of this might seem a lot to go through for a few short words, but since those words are the first impression of the book, and have to be intriguing all on their own, the effort was well worthwhile—enough, hopefully, to invite readers to pick up the book and make their own decision.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Don’t miss Alcopop’s Black Mango Watermelon, Seongju Chamoe and Watermelon Ice Pop; Matcha Latte, with flash-frozen local herbs and a hand-cut ice diamond; and Journey, a concoction that maps a tomato’s global odyssey.—
Melinda Sheckells,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.—
Ian Cummings,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2026
-
That meeting will also include the release of the next summary of economic projections.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
The optional add-on service will not guarantee visa approvals, and the State Department will name which missions offer it before launch, with any extension hinging on traveler demand.—
Matthew Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
The military had to blow up two of its own special operations aircraft on the ground in Iran during the covert mission, which involved hundreds of American military and intelligence personnel, including special operations forces.—
Todd Symons,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Later Tuesday, Loboa sent an email to the DU community informing them about the academic realignment, a message that listed data and documents used to make the restructuring decisions.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
-
Employees who work at the New Labor Agency Building, at O and 9th streets, were also sent memos informing them that the building does not have sufficient space to accommodate all employees in offices four days a week.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Jeff Hafley’s an excellent communicator Hafley needs 30 seconds to summarize things that would have taken Mike McDaniel three minutes.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
9 June 2026
-
The slow pace is due to a law that requires each ballot and each tally sheet, which summarizes the votes from each polling station, to be taken to one of more than 100 offices to be counted.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
When Gary Vernon began riding mountain bikes in Arkansas almost 40 years ago, there was very little infrastructure intended for riders without deep experience—or a devil-may-care attitude.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Emergency reserves have little oil to spare and fuel stockpiles are facing critical lows as peak summer demand months approach.—
Devika Krishna Kumar,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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