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
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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
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
Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
For those who aren’t familiar with the subjects covered in Echoes of Survivors, here is a brief explanation of each event.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
Toria Sheffield, People.com, 10 Aug. 2025
That will require the filing of briefs from the opposing sides and then a rehearing at the appeals court.
—Rob Nikolewski, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025
Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2025
The decision, part of an internal content review the museum agreed to participate in, came after facing pressure from the Trump administration to axe its art museum director, according to The Washington Post, citing an unnamed source who was briefed on the matter.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brief
Adjective
Peak leaf-peeping usually falls between the second and third weeks of October—a brief but breathtaking window when the Blue Ridge Mountains glow with gold, crimson, and amber.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
For those who aren’t familiar with the subjects covered in Echoes of Survivors, here is a brief explanation of each event.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
The campaign featured several other high-profile celebs, including Kendall Jenner and Lil Nas X.
In addition to getting down to his briefs, the singer appeared to be enjoying a summer day outside in the sun.
—Toria Sheffield, People.com, 10 Aug. 2025
That will require the filing of briefs from the opposing sides and then a rehearing at the appeals court.
—Rob Nikolewski, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
Along with the lawsuits, California has also filed more than 40 amicus briefs in support of litigation by other attorneys general, Bonta said.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2025
The decision, part of an internal content review the museum agreed to participate in, came after facing pressure from the Trump administration to axe its art museum director, according to The Washington Post, citing an unnamed source who was briefed on the matter.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
Notifying a third party, such as a different government agency, of a change-of-address is not considered clear and concise notification for tax purposes.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: In-N-Out’s popularity is built on high-quality ingredients, a concise menu, limited presence across the country and strong brand values — not the location of its headquarters or its CEO.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The louder the sound, the shorter amount of time a person should be exposed to it.—
Beth Warren,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
-
The Elevated Velocity’s profile ― long hood, spacious interior, short rear overhang, fastback rear end ― is consistent with the current Cadillac Lyriq and Celestiq.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Focus now shifts to Thursday’s weekly jobless claims numbers and S&P Global’s flash PMI data to gauge economic health in the wake of tariff uncertainties.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
23 July 2025
-
Thursday's weekly jobless claims numbers and S&P Global's flash PMI data will be closely assessed to gauge economic health in the wake of tariff uncertainties.—
Nikhil Sharma,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
These models generate text, code, images and summaries.—
Naren Narendran,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 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,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The mission: save earth’s most precious energy source, butterflies, from an evil AI bot.—
Bryan West,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
-
After attending a meeting and learning more about the club’s mission and committees, she was drawn to the organization’s Transitional Housing Program.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The assessment will inform a potential request by Gov. Tony Evers for a presidential disaster declaration, which would unlock federal aid.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Steve Haney, who represents Beasley, said a lawyer from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York informed him of Beasley’s status within the investigation last week.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In addition, a 2023 study in the journal of HealthCare summarized how gambling among college students is associated with poor academic performance, violence, substance use, mental health symptoms, and even suicide.—
Eric Wood,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
-
These devices transcribe the people around you, and often summarize your day, with the ability to extrapolate tasks and insights from your conversations.—
Julian Chokkattu,
Wired News,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In an environment like that of Gaza today, where most people live in tents or shelters with very little clean water, and with much of the sewage system destroyed, illness is rife and people with weakened immunity are at even greater risk, all the aid agencies said.—
Dawoud Abu Alkas,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
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His criticism has continued, including in recent days In an interview that aired Wednesday on NPR, Bolton said little has changed in bringing an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, pointing to Trump’s efforts to secure a Nobel Peace Prize as the president’s motivation to end the conflict.—
Corey Williams,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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