brush 1 of 3

noun

Definition of brushnext
as in encounter
a brief clash between enemies or rivals the two advance parties had a brush, but no one was wounded

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

brush

2 of 3

verb (1)

as in to flow
to move or proceed smoothly and readily a pop star brushing past a crowd of autograph seekers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

brush

3 of 3

verb (2)

as in to kiss
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing spiderwebs brushed her cheek as she walked through the basement

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 brush
Noun
For stubborn buildup, gently scrubbing with a soft brush or sponge helps lift the film without damaging the surface. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 9 July 2026 Expert stylist and salon owner Nunzio Saviano says the key to big ‘90s hair, sans a heated round brush, is working on partially damp hair. — Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 8 July 2026
Verb
Receding gums, persistent bad breath and bleeding while brushing or flossing round out the common signs of the gum disease and decay that eventually lead to tooth loss. — Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026 Sea of mourners gather for Khamenei Mourners reached out to touch the truck, and some threw scarves and other items for attendants to brush against the coffin, a common practice in Iran seen as a blessing. — Nasser Karimi, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for brush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brush
  1. encounter
  2. flow
  3. kiss
  4. glide
  5. shave
  6. drift
  7. touch
  8. sweep
Noun
  • And, in any event, the heat waves of the past few weeks and the heat pouring out of the world’s oceans remind us that humans don’t get to set the terms of their encounter with physics.
    — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
  • Witness the ongoing reaction to the most recent bear encounter, a bloody showdown that swept across TV, newspapers and social media.
    — Steve Searles, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Definition of encounter
Verb
  • England fans are flooding to Miami, with over 30,000 expected for the game as stories of last-minute trips via here, there and everywhere flow as freely as the drinks.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 July 2026
  • There is an ethos in the tech industry that talent and information should be able to flow freely and that execution is what ultimately wins.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 11 July 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • Once the excitement had died down, the team gathered in a circle and a player went up to Haaland, grabbed the back of his neck and kissed his cheek.
    — Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 July 2026
  • Her shot from distance kissed the post and went in for her third goal of the season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of kiss
Verb
  • Who are these slimy gastropods that have been gliding across Earth since before the Ice Age?
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
  • An endless procession of black SUVs, Escalades, luxury coaches, polished muscle cars and Uber Blacks glided onto West 31st Street.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Definition of glide
Verb
  • The movie could stand to shave off 10 minutes from its midsection on the ocean, which often suffers from too many flat, green-screen backgrounds.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
  • Just last month the Federal Bureau of Prison’s website readjusted it, shaving a few months off.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026
Definition of shave
Verb
  • Even minor sparks or drifting embers can incite nearby foliage or grass, setting off a rapidly spreading fire.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
  • The conversation naturally drifted toward another musical giant in Prince.
    — Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of drift
Verb
  • Usually, this means consuming the affected food or drink directly, or touching something contaminated and then touching your mouth without washing your hands.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 July 2026
  • Place a medium heatproof bowl over the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
    — Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of touch
Verb
  • In addition to the anti-migrant rioting that swept parts of Belfast in June, last summer saw similar riots that led to buildings housing migrants being attacked and burned.
    — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
  • Those Marlins won only 84 games and were swept by the Phillies in the wild-card round.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of sweep

Phrases Containing brush

Browse Nearby Words

brunts
brush
brush (aside or off)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brush. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on brush

Nglish: Translation of brush for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brush

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 fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All