bruise 1 of 2

noun

ˈbrüz How to pronounce bruise (audio)
Definition of bruisenext
1
as in scratch
a bodily injury in which small blood vessels are broken but the overlying skin is not she got quite a big bruise from walking into the corner of the table

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in scrape
an area of skin roughened or worn away by harsh rubbing against another surface bruises caused by ill-fitting hiking boots

Synonyms & Similar Words

bruise

2 of 2

verb

as in to wound

Related Words

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 bruise
Noun
Irate, Melissa punched Nakira in the face, then used makeup to cover the bruises. — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026 The responding Oak Bluffs police officers saw bruises on her legs and a red mark on her neck, Scalice said. — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
It was seen as a sure-fire way to burn bridges or at least bruise feelings between a club and its players. — Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 13 July 2026 Take two mint crowns, lightly bruise them with your fingers, and stick them against the inside close to the straw. — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bruise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bruise
  1. scratch
  2. scrape
  3. wound
  4. contusion
  5. abrasion
  6. gash
  7. bump
  8. slit
Noun
  • But the scariest shocker was the resurrection of Devin Singletary, a healthy scratch in Weeks 3-5.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Officers immediately responding to a citizen’s call found scratch marks above the store’s front door and the males gone, police said.
    — Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of scratch
Noun
  • Cuts and scrapes on the nonstick surface can cause it to chip or flake off, exposing the metal during cooking.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Missouri researcher has captured and analyzed hundreds of thousands of trail-camera images over the years, with many of the best shots coming at scrapes doctored with a variety of scents and lures.
    — Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of scrape
Verb
  • Israeli forces demolished two homes in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron on Friday belonging to Palestinian gunmen who carried out an attack last week that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The attacks have left at least 20 dead and 370 wounded, and have forced the closure of King Khalid International Airport for two weeks.
    — Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of wound
Noun
  • Dëmin limped to the locker room late in the second quarter and was ruled out with a right-leg contusion.
    — C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The Pelicans got some welcome news when center Yves Messi’s knee injury suffered Friday night in Utah is a contusion and not something more severe.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of contusion
Noun
  • Left alone, dry eye can create tiny abrasions on the cornea, raise infection risk and in rare cases cause scarring that permanently affects vision.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Johns Hopkins warns that untreated dry eye can cause corneal abrasions, infection or scarring that permanently affects vision.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of abrasion
Verb
  • A week after the defense was gashed by Nebraska, the offense sputtered to find its rhythm.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • And yes, the Lions gashed the Panthers’ secondary pretty bad on the national stage.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of gash
Noun
  • Both Dario Amodei and Daniela Amodei received raises in 2025 and two pay bumps this year.
    — Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Larson took the white flag in the lead but lost 10 spots after getting shoved out of first on several bumps by Austin Hill.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of bump
Verb
  • Bevins, sung by the tenor Jonah Hoskins, is a young gay man who slit his wrists after being jilted by a lover.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Afterward, Lindsay slit her wrists and neck, then jumped out of a second-story window.
    — Selena Barrientos, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of slit

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Cite this Entry

“Bruise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bruise. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bruise

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bruise

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