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brush (aside or off)

verb

Definition of brush (aside or off)next
as in to ignore
to dismiss as of little importance brushed off their complaints as the whining of people who were never satisfied

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brush (aside or off)
  1. ignore
  2. forgive
  3. overlook
  4. explain
  5. paper over
  6. justify
  7. pardon
Verb
  • Ultimately, the human element can’t be ignored, but the NBA is a business.
    — Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • But for now, let’s all giggle at how fully Naheim ignored Bryan when going to congratulate Jude.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of ignore
Verb
  • More gummies than grizzlies, the Bears will likely be overly forgiving in myriad areas — especially defending the pass.
    — Brad Evans, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Vertiv shares are up a Micron-like 1043% over the past five years, so investors might be forgiven for profit taking.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of forgive
Verb
  • And while vegetable dishes can easily be overlooked on a menu like this, order one or two.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Ownership can be overlooked when addressing a reputation issue.
    — Scott Keever, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of overlook
Verb
  • The woman who had compiled the Handy Hints book helpfully explained these technical details to Flynn, whispering in his ear like someone translating a foreign language.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Instead of explaining why something happened after the fact, the organization helps the customer stay ahead of it.
    — Suresh Rajapakse, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of explain
Verb
  • The instinct for many researchers is to treat uncertainty as a failing, something to paper over before anyone notices.
    — Aleeza Gerstein, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
  • No amount of financial legerdemain can paper over the fundamental problem.
    — Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of paper over
Verb
  • On price hikes, analysts think that Apple needs to increase prices by as much as $100 in order to preserve profit margins and that the company's brand can justify this change in the eyes of customers.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The latest proposal cites legal decisions and policies to justify the various changes.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of justify
Verb
  • But there’s an interesting wrinkle with this one, pardon our pun.
    — Sophie Dunne, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • In late 2017, with the help of a tireless pro bono lawyer who worked his case for years, Fred was fully and unconditionally pardoned by the state of Nevada.
    — Megan Rose, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of pardon
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.

Browse Nearby Words

brush
brush (aside or off)
brushed
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Cite this Entry

“Brush (aside or off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brush%20%28aside%20or%20off%29. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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