BRISTLED Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

bristled

verb

past tense of bristle

as in buzzed

to be copiously supplied a recent college grad thrilled to be starting a new life in a city bristling with possibilities

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as in stormed

to express one's anger usually violently the man bristled at the accusation, and threatened to file a lawsuit

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Recent Examples of bristled Federal immigration agents also have bristled at having their tactics recorded by FBI agents wearing body cameras, CNN has reported. — Holmes Lybrand, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 Herbst bristled at the idea that the existing buildings truly needed that many renovations to safely function as a city hall. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026 China understands this reality as well as anyone and, like many countries, has bristled at this enormous concentration of power for decades. — Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 28 June 2026 When his Peace Corps tour ended, Briscoe bristled at the idea of leaving. — ABC News, 10 June 2026 Use an old toothbrush or soft-bristled cleaning brush to scrub the caulk, being sure to get into hard-to-reach corners and edges. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 June 2026 But for years, many clinicians have bristled at the shifts to a centralized system, feeling their voices have been pushed to the side in favor of more corporate decision-making. — Jessica Bartlett — Boston Globe, STAT, 21 May 2026 Above the lobby of Alameda Theatre, Obama Shaw bristled with an unbridled confidence about his abilities. — Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 18 May 2026 Residents who spoke with the Associated Press expressed concerns about safety and public services but bristled at stereotypes about rampant crime. — Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristled

Verb

Two flies buzzed the kitchen while three of their friends did the same in the dry food storage area.

— David J. Neal July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
And a bit later, his phone buzzed with a few texts from friends.

— Ethan Brooks, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Definition of buzzed

Verb

Key Background The White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April ended abruptly after a gunman stormed a security checkpoint and exchanged fire with Secret Service agents.

— Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Crowds of people—including the relatives of patients—stormed Ituri’s Nyakunde Hospital, throwing stones and damaging its perimeter fence on July 15, according to Reuters.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 22 July 2026

Definition of stormed

Verb

His emotions — and that sticky goo in his wrists — are about to burst.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Along the narrow hallway, bookshelves burst with first editions of John Updike, battered Stephen Kings, graphic novels, dime-store paperbacks, board games, books about mythology, children’s fairy tales, and Warhammer rule sets.

— Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 July 2026

Definition of burst

Verb

In Spain, several fires raged earlier this month, with a major wildfire near Madrid, and another in the country's Castellón region, forcing several tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

— Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 31 July 2026
Blazes in touristic Mugla and Antalya and elsewhere raged overnight as hot weather and strong winds gripped the region.

— CBS News, CBS News, 30 July 2026

Definition of raged

Verb

Cliff Johnsen, business agent for the Steamfitters Local 638 union, fumed.

— Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026
Both the defendants and courts fumed at this because, while attorney-client privilege survives death, this death killed the power of Boca Raton’s Lee Sarkin and Ocean Ridge’s Drew Levitt to act on their client’s behalf.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026

Definition of fumed

Verb

Sitting with her children in a carriage during the parade and later appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the princess wore nodded to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana's 1987 Easter outfit in a pale blue ensemble and wide-brimmed hat by Catherine Walker.

— Meg Walters, InStyle, 15 June 2026
Conversations between the two often brimmed with lessons on life, which Honda carries close to heart.

— Julius Miller Follow, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026

Definition of brimmed

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“Bristled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristled. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of bristled

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