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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No one understands or exploits that shaggy zone quite like Bannon.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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Instead of head-to-toe fur, designers and showgoers alike favored coats finished with shearling collars or shaggy trim, details that feel easier, lighter, and more wearable.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Manscaped’s ‘Hair Ballad’ Several ads trafficked in revulsion as an attention-getter, none more so than this one for a body shaver featuring various clumps of removed body hair singing with their little hairy mouths.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Sweaty skin, particularly sweaty, hairy skin.—
Dawnie Jefferson,
Refinery29,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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After baking, the cheesecake is coated with a silky layer of dark chocolate ganache.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
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Most sateen sheets are made of cotton, but for those who seek an extra-silky-smooth feel, look no further than Ettitude sheets in organic bamboo lyocell.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bristly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristly. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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