Synonyms of bristles

bristles 1 of 2

noun

plural of bristle

as in fibers

a thin, flexible structure that resembles a hair

a hairbrush with plastic bristles

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fibers
• threads
• wires
• filaments
• hairs
• tufts
• yarns
• strings
• microfibers
• cords
• ropes
• fuzzes

bristles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bristle

1

as in bursts

to be copiously supplied

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bursts
• buzzes
• bulges
• brims
• hums
• abounds
• teems
• bustles
• overflows
• swarms
• crawls
• pullulates

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• needs
• wants
• lacks

2

as in storms

to express one's anger usually violently

the man bristled at the accusation, and threatened to file a lawsuit

Synonyms & Similar Words

• storms
• rages
• fumes
• runs amok
• makes a scene
• fulminates
• foams
• rampages
• blusters
• steams
• raves
• flares (up)
• rants
• frets
• seethes
• flips (out)
• carries on
• smolders
• takes on
• chafes
• blows up
• burns
• stews

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• contains
• curbs
• soothes
• reins
• collects
• allays
• swallows
• restrains
• tones (down)
• pockets
• suppresses
• checks
• composes
• smothers
• chokes (back)
• stifles
• represses
• strangles
• subdues
• moderates
• tempers
• pacifies
• appeases
• eases
• relaxes
• cools
• settles
• calms
• quiets
• stills
• hushes
• quells
• lets up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bristles

Noun

Cleveland Clinic warns that hard bristles and aggressive scrubbing can wear down enamel and damage gum tissue. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026

Cleveland Clinic warns that hard bristles and heavy pressure can wear down enamel and damage gum tissue. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026

Cyrus ignores the correction and later bristles when Adam decides to extend his military service for another five years. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

The bristles tend to catch knots and tear them, as opposed to working through them. — Eden Stuart, Allure, 22 Sep. 2026

These have a central molecular backbone with side chains sticking out along its length, much like the bristles on a bottle-cleaning brush, but on a molecular scale. — New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026

After washing, Adriano advises laying brushes flat or upside down to dry, with the bristles pointing downward. — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2026

Snag-free bristles gently grip hair for a smooth, seamless glide. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

The off-white ovoids press into the bristles, bunch up, and recoil several inches, then do it again in a sort of Sisyphean microdrama. — Travis Diehl, The New York Review of Books, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

Raised in Puerto Rico by parents with both Boricuan and Cuban heritage, Bermúdez bristles at attempts to divide Latinos. — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Even Deramas himself makes an appearance near the film’s coda, in which the director bristles at Ina for interrupting his shooting set. — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026

Because Klaveness is not the only football governor who bristles at the way Infantino does business. — Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026

Luiselli crafts a novel of ideas that challenges the very idea of narrative, yet one that bristles with raw feeling. — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026

Still proud of her pioneer status, Val bristles at this. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 May 2026

Langley is not the kind of country singer who bristles at the genre’s conventions. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 8 May 2026

Anderson bristles at the notion of any one-size-fits-all philosophy to correcting the problem of strikeouts. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026

Salt, responding to this charge, bristles a touch at being called mainstream and says her taste is more complex. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026