bristled

past tense of bristle

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 bristled For the century after the Scopes Monkey Trial, religious conservatives have bristled at the court's determinations surrounding public school and religion. Rosalind Bowling, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Sep. 2025 The ballpark atmosphere alongside San Francisco Bay bristled with energy, even for the four seasons after the final World Series victory. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025 While the router was designed to save users from the hassle of manually pickings models, many users bristled at the lack of control. John Kell, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2025 Never a fan of this kind of rhetoric—with which she and the rest of the country had been bombarded for years—Michiko inwardly bristled at the anecdote before the running dialogue changed tack to rumors about the new‑type bomb the Americans had just dropped on Hiroshima. Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025 Google has often bristled at the implication that its obsession with AI search is harming web traffic, and now search head Liz Reid has penned a blog post on the topic. Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2025 Alice bristled, saying that this would be too inconvenient, given her inability to drive. Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024 Records show many Weiner patients bristled when told to get a second opinion or became hostile at the suggestion that Weiner had mistreated them. J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 20 Dec. 2024 Scores of phones were held aloft to record the spectacle as the room bristled with a mixture of excitement and sheer bewilderment. Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristled
Verb
  • Cristian Roldan buzzed about, and burst through midfield.
    Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025
  • The pagers of emergency room staff at Hennepin Healthcare, in downtown Minneapolis, buzzed yet again — this time carrying especially dire news.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Florida State was fined $50,000 after fans stormed the field following Saturday’s 31-17 victory over Alabama, becoming the first team in the ACC to receive the fine following the conference’s policy change in July.
    Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Separately, the United Nations said Houthi authorities stormed its premises in areas under their control in Yemen and detained at least 11 personnel.
    Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As a then unknown reaction to an antibiotic raged its internal war, my body began to shut down.
    Kari Cobham, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
  • At least those two are always at the forefront of the heated debate that has raged on for over a decade.
    Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Drue Tranquill, a linebacker, not a defensive lineman, burst through the line on a blitz for two sacks in the second half.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
  • So many balls burst through my hands.
    James Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Club captain Robert Andrich questioned his teammates’ commitment after a 3-3 draw against Werder Bremen on Saturday, while ten Hag fumed at his players for clashing on the pitch while debating who would take a penalty.
    Ben Church, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Bongino fumed over the decision to effectively close the case, according to a source familiar with the matter.
    Brett Samuels, The Hill, 17 July 2025
Verb
  • Cicadas hummed as the sun set over the Kansas City, Kansas, Unified Government Municipal Building Tuesday, as a crowd of somber faces turned towards a Kansas City, Kansas Police Department vehicle.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Interstate 10 hummed with cars rushing north toward Phoenix, drivers pushing to get ahead of what was bearing down on them.
    Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • While there’s a palpable anticipation for the new creative directions, the week brimmed with optimism and a sense of wonder for the future.
    Rhonda Richford, WWD, 2 Oct. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Bristled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristled. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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