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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
When shopping for apples, choose fruits that are firm and free from bruises and dents. — Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 18 Sep. 2026 Photos of the teen’s back show multiple bruises down his spine and on the shoulder area, the affidavits state. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
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 The operatives take the drives and release Jane, who is bruised and bloodied. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 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
  • Even if Bell plays, if Douglas can’t play Sunday against the Chiefs, wide receiver Jalen Tolbert, who has been a healthy scratch in the first two games, can be kept active on game day.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
  • But after being a late scratch in that game, Stewart was ruled out early of USC’s Big Ten opener against Rutgers.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of scratch
Noun
  • The company said the agent bypasses the personalization and other features built into the shopping experience and said Muse appears to capture and store customer credentials and scrape account data.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The visits mainly addressed dehydration, minor cuts and scrapes and pre-existing medical conditions.
    — Ruby Grisin, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of scrape
Verb
  • Russian authorities reported one dead and 21 wounded in Ukrainian long-range strikes.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Three men were wounded Thursday night in a drive-by shooting in the South Chicago neighborhood, Chicago police said.
    — Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of wound
Noun
  • Acuña was listed as day-to-day with a contusion after X-rays and a CT scan showed no serious damage.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The Diamondbacks later announced Perdomo suffered a head contusion.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of contusion
Noun
  • At the time, Los Angeles police said that paramedics transported a woman who suffered a head abrasion to the hospital.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Pelleting exposes sensitive vitamins to heat, moisture, pressure and abrasion, while storage can further compromise vitamin stability.
    — Aidan Connolly, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of abrasion
Verb
  • Walker ran for 103 yards with the Seahawks against the Broncos in the 2024 season opener, gashing Denver for more than 80 yards in the third quarter alone.
    — Jesse Newell, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • With Miami’s inability to stop the run, the Raiders were able to gash the Dolphins in the play action.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of gash
Noun
  • Memory is not so much a flow, sometimes, as a series of bumps and scrapes.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • But lightening the blame hits a road bump with the word prevention.
    — Marie Lisette Rimer, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of bump
Verb
  • Afterward, Lindsay slit her wrists and neck, then jumped out of a second-story window.
    — Selena Barrientos, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Instead Justine shows up to slit his throat and take the baby from him, leaving him for dead; the child winds up disappearing with Holtz into a hell dimension.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 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 1 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bruise

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bruise

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