Thesaurus results for BRUISE

bruise 1 of 2

noun

ˈbrüz

Definition of bruise

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

Relevance

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

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

The bridge of Islam Makhachev's nose, right cheek and forehead were scraped or sliced open and his left cheek sported a baseball-sized bruise after taking a few too many brutal blows to the face. — CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026 The play came midway into the second quarter, with third-string quarterback Garrett Nussmeier leading the offense and Allen getting some extra work after missing last week with a shin bruise. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026

Verb

Much of his speech and remarks from other officials speaking at the convention Friday focused on party unity after a bruising primary season, where Democrats are hoping to capitalize on what could be a vulnerable year for Republicans. — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2026 Fruits such as strawberries and raspberries have a narrow harvest window and can bruise easily during picking, transportation and storage. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bruise

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bruise

Noun

So in other words, those stacks of lottery tickets or scratch-offs on eBay may be benefitting a select group of people looking to bring their gambling wins home, tax free.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 11 has better battery life than its predecessor, a scratch-resistant screen, 5G support, and its own suite of health and lifestyle features.

— Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of scratch

Noun

They were released after they were treated at medical facilities for scrapes, cuts, dehydration and exhaustion over the weekend, State Police Lt.

— Dennis Romero, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2026
Now, everyone who hunts whitetails has heard about scrapes, and hunters who correctly utilize scrapes score more consistently than those who don’t.

— Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of scrape

Verb

Al-Nuzaili claimed that dozens of Houthi militants had been killed or wounded.

— Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
The office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah violated the ceasefire by attacking Israeli soldiers inside Lebanon, seriously wounding three.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of wound

Noun

The officer who tried helping his colleague was later diagnosed with a strain in his left forearm, a contusion in the back of his right leg and a groin injury, the documents said.

— Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
In early 2025, Said was assigned to cover the Los Angeles wildfires and additional weather events, according to the suit, and while in the field sustained a bone contusion when a piece of heavy equipment struck her foot.

— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of contusion

Noun

Many stars, including Hathaway, have been embracing maternity dressing that shows off their bumps, rather than eclipsing them with boxy silhouettes.

— Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 16 Aug. 2026
Wednesday’s hierarchy openly predicted bumps in the road and one of them was felt on August 1, a week before the first competitive game of the new season.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of bump

Verb

In 2014 and 2017, there were very violent protests; people were burned alive, motorcyclists had their throats slit, health centers were set on fire, schools were set on fire.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 30 July 2026
The repeat was a cleaner A-line style with a round neckline, flared sleeves and a center slit through the midi skirt.

— Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 21 July 2026

Definition of slit

Browse Nearby Words

browsing

bruise

bruised

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bruise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bruise. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of bruise

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on bruise

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

august

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes