1
as in buzzed
to be copiously supplied
a recent college grad thrilled to be starting a new life in a city bristling with possibilities
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stormed
to express one's anger usually violently
the man bristled at the accusation, and threatened to file a lawsuit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bristled
Last year’s The Tortured Poets Department, which recounted Swift’s breakups with rocker beau Matty Healy and actor/co-writer Joe Alwyn, bristled at expectations and disappeared into fantasy.
—
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Speaking of superstars not going anywhere… Since the beginning of NBA times, teams that employ elite players have bristled when reporters share the unwelcome reality that rival teams are trying to find ways to steal their franchise centerpiece.
—Sam Amick, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
DiMaggio is said to have bristled at his wife’s heavy makeup, particularly at the premiere of The Seven Year Itch.
—Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Politely, Berners-Lee bristled.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
The sleek dusk bristled with it, like the fur of a cat.
—Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Once soaked, use a soft sponge or a non-wired brush (soft-bristled is best) to gently scrub the filters.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Republican lawmakers have bristled at the idea, claiming that the state constitution was silent on the issue.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Her sudden stardom even sparked rumors of behind-the-scenes tensions with Lavin, who reportedly bristled at the attention Holliday’s character commanded.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Speaking of superstars not going anywhere… Since the beginning of NBA times, teams that employ elite players have bristled when reporters share the unwelcome reality that rival teams are trying to find ways to steal their franchise centerpiece.
—Sam Amick, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
DiMaggio is said to have bristled at his wife’s heavy makeup, particularly at the premiere of The Seven Year Itch.
—Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Politely, Berners-Lee bristled.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
The sleek dusk bristled with it, like the fur of a cat.
—Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Once soaked, use a soft sponge or a non-wired brush (soft-bristled is best) to gently scrub the filters.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Republican lawmakers have bristled at the idea, claiming that the state constitution was silent on the issue.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Her sudden stardom even sparked rumors of behind-the-scenes tensions with Lavin, who reportedly bristled at the attention Holliday’s character commanded.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristled
Verb
-
When [ecologist Lars] Chittka gave bumblebees an extra jolt of sucrose, their favorite food, the bees buzzed with delight.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Stateside, Atlanta buzzed as Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and Stephanie Mills shared the stage for The Queens!—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Junior tight end Bennett Jordan outjumped two defenders, somehow caught it, and the Mountain Brook team stormed the end zone.—
Grace Raynor,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The Tigers-Guardians series brings plenty of storylines after Cleveland stormed back to take the division.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Total terror raged for a month or more.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The Barbz quickly worked to shut that notion down, but the debate raged on between the two fanbases.—
Regina Cho,
VIBE.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
One of the most famous bubbles that burst was the 2000 dotcom crash where the value of internet companies plummeted.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
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Related Stories His latest is a blunt cinematic instrument — loud, loaded and bursting with carnage and ideological angst.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Trump has fumed at the Federal Reserve for holding interest rates steady, while blaming a weakening labor market on bad numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
20 Sep. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
Offense has largely hummed when Bo Nix is decisive.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Lost in our mind frequency, which hummed loud now like a drone.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The back yard brimmed with raucous laughter and talk of high-school sporting successes and the tribulations of the Dallas Cowboys.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Instead, his monologue brimmed with humanity.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bristled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristled. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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