as in to shrug off
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as in dismissal
treatment that is deliberately unfriendly
the mayor tends to give anyone under voting age the brush-off
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Recent Examples of brush (off)
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
That brush-off on top of Chris somehow edging her out of the Olympic team so that Tunde wound up as an alternate was too much not to go nuclear.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
Initially, Makua gave Momoa's offer a polite brush-off.
—Janee Bolden, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Some interpreted the moment as a blatant brush-off; however, others pointed out that Brigitte, 72, could simply have been focused on keeping her balance on the airplane steps or preparing herself to greet the Prince and Princess of Wales.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 8 July 2025
But our findings suggest that the mere inclusion of abbreviations, although seemingly benign, start feeling like a brush-off.
—David Fang, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025
But there are now pressing concerns over whether Trump will pull the U.S. from the alliance as part of his broader brush-off of America's allies—and whether the remaining nations of the Five Eyes could survive it.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Alumi-Blast is an apt name for this low sheen coating that looks realistically like cast aluminum that has received a light brush-off abrasive blast at the factory.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 26 June 2023
Noun
But his subtle brush-off of Collins is a sign of the cocky and brash kid already beginning to emerge — the same one who could cut down people down to size on his way to redefining himself and jolting both the New York folk scene and the world of pop at large.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
That brush-off on top of Chris somehow edging her out of the Olympic team so that Tunde wound up as an alternate was too much not to go nuclear.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
Initially, Makua gave Momoa's offer a polite brush-off.
—Janee Bolden, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Some interpreted the moment as a blatant brush-off; however, others pointed out that Brigitte, 72, could simply have been focused on keeping her balance on the airplane steps or preparing herself to greet the Prince and Princess of Wales.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 8 July 2025
But our findings suggest that the mere inclusion of abbreviations, although seemingly benign, start feeling like a brush-off.
—David Fang, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025
But there are now pressing concerns over whether Trump will pull the U.S. from the alliance as part of his broader brush-off of America's allies—and whether the remaining nations of the Five Eyes could survive it.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Alumi-Blast is an apt name for this low sheen coating that looks realistically like cast aluminum that has received a light brush-off abrasive blast at the factory.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 26 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brush (off)
Verb
-
The oil market has long shrugged off the risk of an oil supply disruption in the Middle East.—
Dan Mangan,Leslie Josephs,Spencer Kimball,CJ Haddad,Justin Papp,Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Violence tied to the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel is not something to shrug off.—
Andy Shaw,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But the dismissal of the 27-year-old defender was still one of the most controversial moments of a highly entertaining set of play-off games.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The Falcons did not provide a reason for Lewis' dismissal in their brief statement.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The latest rebuff of state overreach was the dismissal last week of the highly questionable felony case against respected Waukegan City Clerk Janet Kilkelly brought by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Braced by that humiliating rebuff, the Service wasted no time in getting serious and rallying around reform.—
Craig Hooper,
Forbes.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The film examines the push-pull of attraction and rejection on a scope both intimate and global, finding the uneasy space where the two meet.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Phillips previously had a kidney transplant in 2017, but subsequent complications — including an infection called the BK virus — eventually resulted in both cellular and antibody rejection.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The big man drew a foul inside, sank a baby hook shot, rejected a shot by Suns counterpart Mark Williams and fed a pass to Sam Hauser for a layup.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
-
These improvements came after Americans rejected soft-on-crime and defund-the-police policies, which resulted in a spike in crime over the previous 4 years.—
Gabe Evans,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Others, though, believed his snub was tied to his no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration, a green banking firm, and whether the payments circumvented salary cap rules.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Despite nine nominations, the SAG snub lingers as a warning sign.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Advertisement Then there’s the controversy sparked by celebrity podcasters Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, who dismissed Crockett's Senate bid as pointless.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Amorim was dismissed following a 1-1 draw with Leeds United on January 5 after a breakdown in relations behind the scenes.—
Mark Critchley,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps Frank should not scorn the Democrats for their emphasis on education.—
Colin Cepuran,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
-
This comes as mosques and holy shrines have been important bases for the regime to spread the hardcore ideology its leaders stand by, which bans any kind of dance and music and scorns them as sins -- let alone tolerating them in public or at holy sites.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brush (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brush%20%28off%29. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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