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.
—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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But where a female-friendship show like Tuca & Bertie falls into the trap of presenting relatability at the expense of creativity, YOLO introduces a dynamic that is depraved, boozy, druggy, shaggy, and totally amoral.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
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The look was completed with a side part and shaggy bangs.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Buried deep in a mound of tribbles and emerging from the hairy pile of creatures, Kirk handles himself admirably, embracing the unfortunate situation with a sense of comedic calm that adds yet another humanistic dimension to the iconic captain's character.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
22 Mar. 2026
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That held up as the GWG — but not without some hairy moments.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And while plenty of Korean brands have mastered the art of silky sunscreens with zero white cast, Innisfree’s Daily UV Defense Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ PA++++—the upgraded version of the brand’s long-time fan-favorite and Best of Beauty winner—is especially worth calling out.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
21 Mar. 2026
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Her ingredient list is sparse—just shallots, spices, and coconut milk—but the result is so silky and rich.—
Shirley Parameswaran,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bristly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristly. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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