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
Relevance
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
as in bristly
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bristling
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
As Lorenz Hart — short of stature, fond of drink, bristling with resentment over his professional partner Richard Rodgers’s new success with Oscar Hammerstein on Oklahoma!
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
Spicomellus had a back that was probably bristling with sharper spines, along with far larger ones along its outer edges.
—ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025
With the neighborhood already bristling with all kinds of MLRS, that will no doubt be the case.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
During a standout setpiece at the restaurant — opened after hours for the celebrity couple, to the bristling resentment of the staff — Tony sufficiently ingratiates himself with the Americans that Jack agrees to read Amin’s script.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
And as politicians, these Supreme Court Justices are especially bristling, equivocating, and entitled, which doesn’t make for trustworthy narration.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
That gives it a bristling relevance.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Much of the film, for all its bristling kineticism, unfolds in closeup; Anderson’s favorite vistas and visions can be mapped out in the human face.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
As Lorenz Hart — short of stature, fond of drink, bristling with resentment over his professional partner Richard Rodgers’s new success with Oscar Hammerstein on Oklahoma!
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
Spicomellus had a back that was probably bristling with sharper spines, along with far larger ones along its outer edges.
—ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025
With the neighborhood already bristling with all kinds of MLRS, that will no doubt be the case.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
During a standout setpiece at the restaurant — opened after hours for the celebrity couple, to the bristling resentment of the staff — Tony sufficiently ingratiates himself with the Americans that Jack agrees to read Amin’s script.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
And as politicians, these Supreme Court Justices are especially bristling, equivocating, and entitled, which doesn’t make for trustworthy narration.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristling
Verb
-
Cardinals running back Emari Demercado seemed destined to stretch Arizona’s lead to three touchdowns after bursting through the Titans defense for what appeared to be a 72-yard touchdown run.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
-
However, as investors have continued to seek out opportunities in AI, concerns have been raised about the possibility of a bubble bursting somewhere down the line.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In a way, Vitale has cast himself as The Visitor from Teorema, storming into the Versace household and making a bit of a mess.—
Ludwig Hurtado,
Them.,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Virginia can expect a fine for the field storming.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But that hypothesis, Harland wrote in a bristly 1964 Scientific American article, was not supported by any concrete evidence.—
Laura Poppick
July 22,
Literary Hub,
22 July 2025
-
Step 3: Tidy the Harvest When the garlic is fully cured with papery skins and brittle, brown leaves, brush away any excess soil with your fingers and clip back the bristly roots.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Aug. 2024
Verb
-
The crowd should be buzzing and the ball should be flying at Nippert Stadium.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The 48,000 Yankee faithful will be buzzing.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Amid the churn in Europe and globally, with trenchant nationalism on the rise, and a war raging in Ukraine just 1,200 miles from the palace, many might say that having a hereditary royal as their head of state offers some reassuring continuity, acting as a counterweight to political upheaval.—
Vivienne Walt,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
-
There's a debate raging about whether adding a squirrel feeding station filled with corn or peanuts to your garden will satisfy the rodents and keep them away from bulbs.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
After his second impeachment by the House of Representatives in January 2021, there were reports that a seething Trump was not going to pay his personal attorney's legal fees.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
This means that voters and Congress members alike are driven not so much by loyalty to their own party but instead a sort of seething hatred for the other political party.—
Charlie Hunt,
The Conversation,
13 June 2025
Verb
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RAKxa Jai, meanwhile, focuses on holistic wellness, with teams of staff offering a bulging book of treatments, including crystal healing, traditional Ayurvedic treatments and Marma Healing massage.—
Angelina Villa-Clarke,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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The Saetbyol-4, which shares the Global Hawk's bulging fuselage design, is a reconnaissance aircraft while the Saetbyol-9, like the Reaper, is an attack drone.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Here are my top picks for fall weekend getaways brimming with autumn charm.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Back stateside, Auchincloss did a stint on the Newton City Council, in an immediate Boston suburb brimming with professional types in law, the sciences, academia, business, and other realms.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bristling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristling. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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