bristles 1 of 2

noun

plural of bristle
as in fibers
a thin, flexible structure that resembles a hair a hairbrush with plastic bristles

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in storms
to express one's anger usually violently the man bristled at the accusation, and threatened to file a lawsuit

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bristles
Noun
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 The recall came after 54 reports of bristles detaching—three of which resulted in people receiving medical treatment. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 July 2026 Outdoor units usually have a large coil covered with fins and bristles that help regulate the temperature and flow of refrigerant, but these can get easily plugged with dirt, pollen, grass clippings, and other debris. — Sheila Kim, The Spruce, 9 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristles
  1. fibers
  2. bursts
  3. storms
  4. threads
  5. buzzes
  6. rages
  7. bulges
  8. brims
Noun
  • The initiative arrives as the Pentagon argues that decades of offshoring have left the United States vulnerable in the production of advanced fibers and textiles used in military equipment.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Perfect for transitional weather, look for traits like water-resistant wax coating, removable hoods and natural fibers like wool for temperature-regulating comfort.
    — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of fibers
Verb
  • Things quickly take a terrifying turn during surgery when a scorpion tail suddenly bursts through Perry’s back, attacking one of the surgeons mid-operation.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
  • Haaland bursts our bubble almost immediately by scoring in the opening five minutes, and Burnley miss a few good first-half chances, with striker Zian Flemming particularly culpable.
    — Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of bursts
Verb
  • Mars storms the Official Streaming chart with five titles, while one of his most successful collaborations becomes a bestseller again on multiple rosters.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Although significant, that event was far less powerful than the Carrington Event — or the even rarer storms the new study suggests may be possible.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of storms
Noun
  • Bluefin tuna crudo is gently pounded and spread with a Peruvian-leaning tomato tear, lemon threads and olive oil.
    — David Hochman, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • There are interesting threads to unravel regarding Kara’s grief and anger, but the story she’s stranded in doesn’t have time to do that in any meaningful way.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of threads
Verb
  • There’s always a nervous excitement that buzzes through households in the days leading up to a new school year.
    — Parents, Parents, 10 Aug. 2026
  • While Ramses may continue its operations for a number of months, NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX mission—the name for the extended mission of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which sampled the asteroid Bennu—is set to swoop in after Apophis buzzes Earth.
    — Andrew Jones, Scientific American, 30 July 2026
Definition of buzzes
Verb
  • The rivalry between Apple and Google rages on, as the latest smartwatches from the tech giants are similarly equipped to offer AI assistance and track your health from your wrist.
    — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2026
  • And these attacks drive up insurance costs – further deterring shipping companies while the war rages on.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of rages
Verb
  • According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a brain aneurysm is a weakened area in an artery that bulges outward and fills with blood.
    — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of bulges
Verb
  • As her character struggles to find balance, her relationship with her son brims with tension.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Once owned by a legendary trick rider and roper in the 1950s, the restaurant brims with Montana cowgirl lore.
    — Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2026
Definition of brims

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Cite this Entry

“Bristles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristles. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of bristles for Spanish Speakers

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