as in bristly
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1
as in bursting
to be copiously supplied
a recent college grad thrilled to be starting a new life in a city bristling with possibilities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in storming
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
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Recent Examples of bristling
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
Mason gives him a somewhat civilized welcome but has too much bristling nervous energy to be trusted.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Katie Campione, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
The seas of the Middle East are bristling with American warships and airpower trained on Iran.
—February 26, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
Tour guide Michael Hillman said travelers are bristling at how pricey Las Vegas has become.
—Rajesh Kumar Singh, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
More than any other European leader, Orbán has made a career out of bristling against the EU, despite not seeking to leave it.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
But in terms of its actual content, the statement was pretty thin gruel, bristling with public relations-style circumlocution and vagueness.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Buried in a six-game losing streak, Las Vegas head coach Pete Carroll has canned two coordinators — most notably offensive mind Chip Kelly, hired away from national champion Ohio State this offseason to operate a Raiders attack bristling with skill players.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2025
The real success of King Sorrow, however, is its balancing of stunt and spectacle with the characters’ bristling imperfections.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The path curls beneath bristling columns and then drops steeply over the side.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
That gives it a bristling relevance.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
Mason gives him a somewhat civilized welcome but has too much bristling nervous energy to be trusted.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
Writers who spoke with Deadline on Friday waved off most talk of the ceremony, bristling at any insinuation that the blame for the strike fallout should lay at the feet of the staff.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
The seas of the Middle East are bristling with American warships and airpower trained on Iran.
—February 26, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
Tour guide Michael Hillman said travelers are bristling at how pricey Las Vegas has become.
—Rajesh Kumar Singh, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
More than any other European leader, Orbán has made a career out of bristling against the EU, despite not seeking to leave it.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
But in terms of its actual content, the statement was pretty thin gruel, bristling with public relations-style circumlocution and vagueness.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Buried in a six-game losing streak, Las Vegas head coach Pete Carroll has canned two coordinators — most notably offensive mind Chip Kelly, hired away from national champion Ohio State this offseason to operate a Raiders attack bristling with skill players.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2025
The real success of King Sorrow, however, is its balancing of stunt and spectacle with the characters’ bristling imperfections.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The path curls beneath bristling columns and then drops steeply over the side.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristling
Adjective
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During the summer ski jumping season when competitors slide down ceramic or porcelain tracks and land on bristly plastic mats, the team tried to adjust to the new ski suit dimensions.—
Brian Melley,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Their typically bristly fur is peppered with shades of brown and gray, with a white underbelly.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As spring blooming bulbs, tulips are often associated with renewal, bursting forth after the last winter freeze.—
Michelle Mastro,
Architectural Digest,
24 Mar. 2026
-
At a slim 76 minutes, Sparks pulls you in tight and never lets go, every frame bursting with teen angst and longing.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
North Carolina built a 19-point lead with 15 minutes remaining before before VCU came storming back to tie it at 75 with 11 seconds left on a driving layup by Hill.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Texas assistant coach Ryan Anderson also lost it, storming the floor as North Carolina State prepared to inbound the ball.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The deliberate sparring during mealtime hides a palpable contempt the two warriors have for each other, further displayed as a seething hatred conveyed on Kirk's face as Chang departs back to Kronos One.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
22 Mar. 2026
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These are hard data outcroppings from a seething sea of online hate.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The eatery is consistently buzzing with energy, making for a fabulously fun atmosphere that bleeds into the rest of the hotel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
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Despite rainy March weather outside, the inside of their matcha cafe was buzzing with dozens of customers happily sipping on light green lattes.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
An impassioned group of parents and alumni has spent the last five months fighting to reverse the inclusion of girls, raging against what school leaders have repeatedly emphasized is a nonnegotiable final decision.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The Texas high school baseball season is raging on, and several Fort Worth-area athletes have had stellar performances.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
More humane methods of killing lobsters pre-boiling include a sharp knife through the head, electrical stunning, or freezing.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 Dec. 2025
-
Agrawal and her team studied ionic liquids — salts that are liquid at sub-boiling temperatures (below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius) — as a potential hospitable environment for life.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Space.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The Tar Heel pipeline isn’t exactly bulging with the kind of coach the UNC job could attract.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Penn’s curdled facial expressions, sever buzzcut and bulging biceps morphed him into a cruel lethal weapon, but that performance — like Taylor’s — stayed stuck in the same groove throughout.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bristling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristling. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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