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
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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in shortness
the condition of being short
the briefness of the instructions rendered them less than helpful
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in concision
the quality or state of being marked by or using only few words to convey much meaning
in this case the briefness of the essay is not a drawback because it says all that needs to be said and does so with eloquence
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
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Touchbacks: Touchbacks for kickoffs have been moved from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line, incentivizing the kicking team to keep the ball in play or have to deal with their opponents being a short trip away from reaching field goal range.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Choose from a slew of sizes and lengths, including short, regular, and tall.—
Ali Faccenda,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
During the conversation: • Lead with curiosity informed by intelligence, not information dumps.—
B.D. Dalton,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
The population count also informs how the government allocates federal funding for programs and public services including healthcare, education, and infrastructure.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Interconnected Causes Of Managerial Obsolescence To summarize, the principal interconnected reasons why firms and their managers are becoming obsolete are: Wrong mindset: making profits for themselves, not creating value for others.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
The narrative might be summarized like this: supernatural Taylor Swift-type kills evil spirits while struggling with her own inner demons.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Not surprisingly, given the risk of summary execution, many had initial doubts.—
Yossi Melman,
ProPublica,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The young man risked beatings that would end in summary execution for sneaking in extra food to prisoners who were supposed to be the empire’s work-and-starve-to-death slaves.—
Charles Pellegrino,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
There was a broad perception that López Obrador did little to confront the cartels.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
-
These hard-working little creatures stockpile food in their dens for winter.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Considering that the workplace is multi-generational, a range of benefits—from pet insurance to temporary part-time status to mental health coaching—could serve them best.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Trump also reversed his support for a ceasefire and instead is seeking a peace agreement after the meeting with Putin, who has long said Moscow is not interested in a temporary truce and is looking for a long-term settlement that supports the Kremlin’s interests.—
Landon Mion , Lucas Y. Tomlinson,
FOXNews.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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