as in shaggy
covered with or as if with hair
although pigs look hairless, they're actually bristly creatures
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Recent Examples of bristly
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
Called Utah arrays, they are made of hard silicon and look a bit like the bristly part of a hairbrush.
—WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022
Thirteen Lives reminds me of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 for its bristly character moments, people caught in extremis.
—Joshua Rothkopf, EW.com, 6 Aug. 2022
Hedgehogs are small mammals, known for their coats, which are covered with bristly spines.
—Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2021
See All Example Sentences for bristly
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2024
Called Utah arrays, they are made of hard silicon and look a bit like the bristly part of a hairbrush.
—WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022
Thirteen Lives reminds me of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 for its bristly character moments, people caught in extremis.
—Joshua Rothkopf, EW.com, 6 Aug. 2022
Hedgehogs are small mammals, known for their coats, which are covered with bristly spines.
—Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2021
See All Example Sentences for bristly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristly
Adjective
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The look was completed with a side part and shaggy bangs.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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Velasquez says that shaggy layers are a great way to give natural curls movement and life.—
Audrey Noble,
InStyle,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Poison hemlock, unlike Queen Anne’s Lace, has a smooth, not hairy stem.—
Carl R. Gold,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Mar. 2026
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To help keep their moisture levels in check and protect themselves from wind, desert plants often have spiny, waxy, or hairy leaves.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Rosalind Wheeler Faux Silk Tulip Wreath Tulips are the flower of springtime, and this wreath captures that soft, seasonal charm with silky pink and purple faux blooms.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Mar. 2026
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Traits of a Silky Mom Here are some of the main traits of a silky mom.—
Jana Pollack,
Parents,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bristly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristly. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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