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.
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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.
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WIRED,
19 Aug. 2022
Thirteen Lives reminds me of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 for its bristly character moments, people caught in extremis.
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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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When Jon Brion would perform at Largo in Los Angeles, the enthrallment of his show entailed watching the shaggy-haired guy play myriad instruments, sampling and looping them into a climactic song.
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That charming and shaggy approach is fitting for such a campy and irreverent comedy, ultimately substituting polish for an equal mixture of artistic grit and careless joy.
Adjective
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The ambitious series will debut new episodes later this year, making this the perfect time to prop up your hairy feet and marathon the first two seasons.
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The threat that these hairy tanks (some can weigh over 1,500 pounds) pose to drivers is so great that Volvo, a brand synonymous with safety, built their own life-sized rubber replica.
Adjective
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The Marmaille cuvée, introduced from the 2023 vintage, blends Cinsault and Grenache to emphasize fruit and elegance, while a Grenache-dominant cuvée offers a silkier profile aligned with modern food pairing.
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The 2019 has aromas of licorice, cassis, black raspberry, cedar, and mocha with silky tannins and flavors of sweet baking spices, ripe dark fruits, and a touch of dark chocolate in the finish.
Cite this Entry
“Bristly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristly. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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