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

Since there wasn’t much existing research on brush teeth, Tangle Teezer had to do their own, testing across different hair types, length of bristles, row length and brush shape, hence the lengthy development time. — Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Its soft bristles are suited for delicate materials like mesh and suede, while the medium bristles can tackle leather and rubber, and hard bristles are built for tougher surfaces like outsoles. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 19 Aug. 2026

The combination bristles feel amazing on my scalp (like the best head scratch ever) while also smoothing my incredibly frizzy hair. — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026

Barnes likes the double-sided brush, which has short, spiky bristles on one side to lift the base of the lashes and a mini lash comb on the other side to separate and lengthen. — Micaela English, Glamour, 14 Aug. 2026

Brush guards trap pine needles within their bristles, forcing you to remove the entire brush to clean out clogged dirt. — Nick Perry, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

The film begins with the religious question of whether young Ilyas is allowed to shave the bristles on his upper lip, leading to a consistent self-consciousness, which appears (and re-appears) as Ilyas imagining extreme close-ups of hair and skin. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026

In landfills, synthetic bristles on paintbrushes can take hundreds of years to degrade, while their plastic handles take up to a thousand years, Silverman said. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Briceno recommends coating both sides of the brush, wiping away any excess, and making sure the bristles come to a clean edge before applying. — Marci Robin, Allure, 24 July 2026

Verb

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

Shirley bristles at being labeled an influencer in press coverage. — Mia Sato, The Verge, 29 Jan. 2026