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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brush (aside or off)
Verb
-
And ignoring that fact is now no longer a laughing matter.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026 -
All of these teens had in fact ignored their notices to appear.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But with performances like this, he could be forgiven for allowing his thoughts to drift briefly towards the summer in North America.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
-
This is a powerful time to release emotional baggage and forgive yourself for past choices.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
However, don't overlook the kitchen and laundry room, which can also be prone to soap scum.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The ranch overlooks the 5,000-acre Ramona Grasslands Nature Preserve, which is under the stewardship of San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation.—
Regina Elling,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Gabbard has not explained her involvement in the case herself.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
-
On Rough and Rowdy Ways, Dylan also reemerges as a restless, sometimes cordial, often corrosive analyst, agreeing at last to engage—if not fully to explain—the whats, hows, and, possibly whys of his creative life.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Recent league wins over Brighton, Tottenham and Wolves papered over the cracks in patchy performances as the champions climbed back into the top four.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Dee Winters undercut a pass and returned it 74 yards for a game-sealing score, papering over a shaky performance by the 49ers’ defense.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Howard, who had served as a second lieutenant with the Ninety‑Second Division, 366th Infantry in France during World War I, accused President Truman of using the Cold War to justify a sweeping peacetime expansion of America’s global military footprint.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
And yet Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claims that the agents were justified despite evidence so clear that it can be found unedited on YouTube.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Bill Clinton circumvented political accountability by pardoning the financier Marc Rich, the ex-husband of an influential Democratic donor, on the last day of his presidency.—
Bernadette Meyler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Money laundering, bank fraud, and wire fraud were among the most frequent crimes the president pardoned.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
23 Jan. 2026
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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 2 Feb. 2026.
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