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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brief
Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
Boelter, who is in federal custody, made a brief first appearance in federal court on Monday, wearing a two-piece orange jail suit, orange socks and black slides.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 16 June 2025
Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
The White House did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on the brief.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 10 June 2025
Arkansas Online, 16 June 2025
The decision to pursue the indictment against Abrego Garcia led to the abrupt departure of Ben Schrader, a high-ranking federal prosecutor in Tennessee, sources briefed on Schrader's decision told ABC News.
—Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for brief
Adjective
Now, the better part of two weeks after tactical Officer Krystal Rivera died in the friendly fire incident, investigators are still searching for the suspect who sparked a brief foot pursuit that ultimately led to the fatal gunfire in a Chatham apartment building.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
Boelter, who is in federal custody, made a brief first appearance in federal court on Monday, wearing a two-piece orange jail suit, orange socks and black slides.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 16 June 2025
Noun
In his first post, Thibodeau thanked both the fans and the organization, expressing his gratitude in a brief but telling message.
—Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
The White House did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on the brief.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 10 June 2025
Verb
After being briefed on the plan, the White House made clear to Israeli officials that Trump was opposed to the Israelis making the move, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
—Arkansas Online, 16 June 2025
The decision to pursue the indictment against Abrego Garcia led to the abrupt departure of Ben Schrader, a high-ranking federal prosecutor in Tennessee, sources briefed on Schrader's decision told ABC News.
—Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
That’s compared to more concise models which required just 37.7 tokens per question.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
19 June 2025
-
The researchers found that the reasoning models generated significantly more tokens, which correlate with CO₂ emissions, than the more concise models.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Yes, Nuno will always be reminded about his short and unsuccessful stint at Tottenham Hotspur.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
-
Plus, as a shorter shopper who’s always coming up with petite fashion hacks, the midi length will be the perfect maxi dress on my 5-foot frame.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
People.com,
21 June 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
-
The Massachusetts Family Institute highlighted in a summary of a legislative hearing held earlier this month that 59 of 70 people had testified in opposition to the bills that look to increase vaccination requirements and reporting standards.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
16 June 2025
-
The firm can, however, use it to extract relevant points from contracts, create summaries of relevant prior case law, and flag up risks.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
But helping people understand the mission was one half of the journey.—
Sara Braun,
Fortune,
21 June 2025
-
Unfortunately, Sam’s missions keep her from fulfilling her maid of honor duties, so Betsy replaces Sam with her soon-to-be sister-in-law (Anna Chlumsky).—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
Nobody informed Cristian’s family what was happening.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
10 June 2025
-
His mother informs Mel and his sister that their father will be out on day release but urges them not to share their address with him.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2025
Verb
-
Lawyers are already using AI to analyze evidence, summarize witness testimony, and conduct legal research.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
-
The women’s lawyers then issued a press release on Jan. 31, summarizing the claims.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
11 June 2025
Adjective
-
Her ensemble featured a simple yet striking little black dress with a semi-sheer bodice and a voluminous, inflated hemline, perfectly paired with dainty black mules and matching arm cuffs on both wrists.—
Mecca Pryor,
Essence,
10 June 2025
-
No matter how sweet, the little crocodile grows bigger and more difficult to care for.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share