1
as in scratches
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
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 bruises
Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Look for unblemished spuds with no cuts, bruises, or discoloration.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
But Kaszas’ ultimate destiny had nothing to do with inflicting — or receiving — bruises, contusions or broken limbs.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
At right, bruises can be seen on her wrist.
—Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
As the children arrived at their foster homes, some of them in pairs, many had scratches, red marks, scars, and old bruises on various parts of their bodies.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
An autopsy performed Monday did not produce an initial cause of death, but the Lake County Coroner’s Office said Pierce was malnourished and had numerous bruises.
—Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Though his bruises have faded, the effects of his traumatic brain injuries linger.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Look for citrus fruits that feel firm and smooth, with no soft spots or bruises.
—Zia Sherrell, Health, 7 Feb. 2026
Noun
The posts included more than a dozen images that showed bruises and other wounds on her body, holes in the wall and broken cabinets.
—Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Look for unblemished spuds with no cuts, bruises, or discoloration.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
But Kaszas’ ultimate destiny had nothing to do with inflicting — or receiving — bruises, contusions or broken limbs.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
At right, bruises can be seen on her wrist.
—Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
As the children arrived at their foster homes, some of them in pairs, many had scratches, red marks, scars, and old bruises on various parts of their bodies.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
An autopsy performed Monday did not produce an initial cause of death, but the Lake County Coroner’s Office said Pierce was malnourished and had numerous bruises.
—Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Though his bruises have faded, the effects of his traumatic brain injuries linger.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Look for citrus fruits that feel firm and smooth, with no soft spots or bruises.
—Zia Sherrell, Health, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bruises
Noun
-
Five Disneyland visitors suffered minor scrapes and scratches in 2008 when a tree branch fell near the Cafe Orleans restaurant in New Orleans Square, according to the Orange County Register.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Low-quality or dirty microfiber cloths can leave scratches behind.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Another signpost tracked in study was deer scrapes.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The struggle left several agents with bite wounds, scrapes and bruises that required medical treatment.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
What once killed campaigns now barely wounds them.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Even with all of them in place, Shirley misses the masked attacker sneaking his way up to the apartment door, and Lamb’s attempt to blind him with bleach creates a chaotic struggle that wounds the assailant without containing him.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Park visitors with abrasions and contusions were taken to six Anaheim-area hospitals for treatment.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
-
But Kaszas’ ultimate destiny had nothing to do with inflicting — or receiving — bruises, contusions or broken limbs.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The technology is also moving into textiles and wearables, where self-repairing fabrics can mend small rips or abrasions, extending product life and reducing waste.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The girl was taken to Children’s Hospital with injuries to her extremities and abrasions to her head.—
Erik S. Hanley,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The front lid appears to be barely hanging on by a thread, with cuts and gashes throughout.—
Staff Author,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Heupel spreads out his receivers in an attempt to spread out the defense, then gashes them with the run.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
When other resorts are battling bumps or bare spots, Baldy’s corduroy often remains impeccable, rewarding skiers and snowboarders who love speed, precision, and long, uninterrupted descents.—
Denny Lee,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Dual moguls sees two skiers racing side by side down the course featuring two jumps and fields of bumps, known as moguls.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The old formula not only fails to reflect how much Argentine households spend on present-day staples like Netflix subscriptions and iPhones, experts say, but also underrepresents the costs of public services like health care and electricity that have skyrocketed as Milei slashes subsidies.—
Isabel Debre,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Work rules are the largest driver of coverage losses in the GOP budget law, which slashes nearly $1 trillion to offset the costs of tax breaks that mainly benefit the rich and increase border security, critics say.—
Samantha Liss,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bruises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bruises. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
