1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

brook 1 of 2

noun

ˈbru̇k How to pronounce brook (audio)
Definition of brooknext
as in creek
a natural body of running water smaller than a river there are tiny fish and frogs in that brook

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

brook

2 of 2

verb

as in to tolerate
to put up with (something painful or difficult) I will not brook insults from my own employees

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brook
Noun
Temescal Gateway Park is a 141-acre expanse in Pacific Palisades that features a babbling brook, oak and sycamore canyons and trails that zigzag up the mountains, providing views of the Pacific Ocean and its coastline. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026 There's one spot on Richard's land where the Guadalupe slows to a babbling brook at the base of a tree. — Bo Evans, CBS News, 2 July 2026
Verb
The genius of the people will ill brook the inquisitive and peremptory spirit of excise laws. — Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025 Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows promised swift action and vowed to brook no more stalling tactics from Democrats. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for brook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brook
  1. creek
  2. tolerate
  3. stand
  4. endure
  5. accept
  6. take
  7. handle
  8. bear
Noun
  • The Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians monitors water quality for algal blooms and cleans up spawning creeks that get clogged with sediment and trash.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • It is fed by a spring, stocked with bass and bluegill, and connected to a creek.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of creek
Verb
  • If tolerated, players can also attend team meetings and film study.
    — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
  • His warning was meant for American eyes and ears at least as much — if not more so — than for the government in Jerusalem that until now has encouraged the hoodlums by tolerating their violence.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of tolerate
Verb
  • September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time to honor the lives lost to suicide, to stand with the families and communities suicide has touched, and to renew our commitment to prevention.
    — Courtney Marx, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The guy running this operation told me his boss told him to stand at the Big Tree Inn and sell tables.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of stand
Verb
  • Exploring the dialogue between Italy’s artisanal heritage and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, the event considers how the handmade endures in an era of rapid innovation.
    — Eleonora Giordani, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
  • That was a disquieting pointer to Federal Reserve Board policy, for the central bank counted controlling inflation, not enduring full employment, as one of its mandates.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of endure
Verb
  • In 2020, the Indian government cut the merchant discount rate, the fee incurred by merchants for accepting payments via UPI, to zero to promote digital transactions in the country.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Paltrow won and, rather than collect attorney’s fees from Sanderson, accepted the $1 payout and wished Sanderson well.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of accept
Verb
  • Their aim was to get bills out the door sooner and for the county to pay back districts that took a financial hit because of prior billing delays.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • After failing to convert on a first down, the Knights settled for a 29-yard field goal by Will Stone to take a 10-0 lead.
    — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of take
Verb
  • Having to balance coverage of this unimaginable tragedy with more typical Housewives scenes is a remarkably tricky balancing act, but one that the show handles well.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The National Transportation Safety Board generally handles civilian aviation accidents, but the military investigates crashes involving its own aircraft.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of handle
Verb
  • Dar was born in Pakistan and lived in Saudi Arabia before moving to Los Angeles at age five.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
  • My parents were born during the Great Depression, came of age during World War II.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of bear

Browse Nearby Words

broody
brook
brooked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brook. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on brook

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brook

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All