Synonyms of brush

brush 1 of 3

noun

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

• encounter
• skirmish
• fight
• scrape
• run-in
• argument
• quarrel
• spat
• brawl
• battle
• hassle
• row
• tiff
• squabble
• wrangle
• fray

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

• flow
• glide
• drift
• sweep
• slide
• sail
• slip
• stream
• coast
• breeze
• roll
• race
• fly
• cruise
• speed
• bowl
• skim
• whisk
• rush

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• struggle
• limp
• flounder
• stumble
• stamp
• lumber
• shuffle
• trudge
• plod
• stump
• tramp
• stomp
• labor
• toil
• shamble

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

• kiss
• shave
• touch
• skim
• nudge
• graze
• stroke
• caress
• pat
• scrape
• sweep
• bump
• miss
• contact
• swipe
• skip
• strike
• pet
• love
• cuddle
• rebound
• glance
• bounce
• sideswipe
• fondle
• ricochet
• skirt
• carom

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hit
• knock
• bump
• slap
• impact
• punch
• smack
• swipe
• smash
• bang
• clash
• slam
• ram
• collide
• whack
• impinge
• bash
• crash
• thud
• thwack

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of brush

Noun

The officer returned fire, but the man ran into brush and escaped. —Mitchell Willetts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Sep. 2025

Using a very soft brush or cloth, gently scrub the stain. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025

Verb

Another, also built from white disks on a bending wire, evokes a mechanized Japanese cherry tree, its circles—perched high on a narrow stem—not revolving so much as brushing quickly past one another. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025

The second verse is no less random, with lyrics about moonwalking on a UFO, dropping bars while brushing teeth and a shout out to legendary 2001 blaxploitation-adjacent comedy Pootie Tang. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025

Phrases Containing brush

• brush (aside or off)