as in flows
to move or proceed smoothly and readily
a pop star brushing past a crowd of autograph seekers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in kisses
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
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Recent Examples of brushes
Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
During his voyage, Pinkney experienced some harrowing moments, but no brushes with total disaster.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
Her last film was ensemble dark comedy Dear Paris in which several of the city’s residents are interconnected by different brushes with death.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 June 2026
On the one hand, traffickers are helping fuel the violent crime that conservatives decry; on the other, prosecution of gun laws brushes against tenets that conservatives hold sacrosanct.
—Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 1 June 2026
Use it to clean makeup brushes and sponges both gently and effectively.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 31 May 2026
For pet hair or stains, bring your indoor vacuum outside to use the turbo brushes and handheld rods.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
The brand’s launch included complexion and lip products, as well as brushes.
—Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
This pet grooming kit + vacuum trims, brushes and sucks up loose fur at the same time, so you're not left sweeping up Fido's tumbleweeds afterward.
—Trisha Easto, USA Today, 15 May 2026
CBS News, 28 May 2026
These stocks have climbed for weeks as the market brushes off the narrative that AI is a threat to the cybersecurity industry.
—Morgan Chittum,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 27 May 2026
Tokyo Stylez, Cardi’s hairstylist, brushes out a sleek brown hairpiece, and Erika la’ pearl, her makeup artist, dabs at Cardi’s face while the rapper scrolls through her phone, controlling the music.
—Jazmine Hughes, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
When some chime in to say their doctors had been cautiously optimistic about treatments, Sarah brushes that aside.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
At the Veterans of Foreign Wars post, Commander Tommy Nester finds it behind the ceiling panels, brushes it off the uniforms that aren’t behind glass and sweeps it from the baseboards of the main hall.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 1 Mar. 2026
See how his head brushes the sky.
—Roey Leonardi, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
Elizabeth Scott brushes off the comparison.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Judy brushes him off and leads the way to Cabin Twelve.
—Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Noun
Students who want to paint must buy their own brushes and panels, but all oil paint is provided.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
During his voyage, Pinkney experienced some harrowing moments, but no brushes with total disaster.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
Her last film was ensemble dark comedy Dear Paris in which several of the city’s residents are interconnected by different brushes with death.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 June 2026
On the one hand, traffickers are helping fuel the violent crime that conservatives decry; on the other, prosecution of gun laws brushes against tenets that conservatives hold sacrosanct.
—Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 1 June 2026
Use it to clean makeup brushes and sponges both gently and effectively.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 31 May 2026
For pet hair or stains, bring your indoor vacuum outside to use the turbo brushes and handheld rods.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
The brand’s launch included complexion and lip products, as well as brushes.
—Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
This pet grooming kit + vacuum trims, brushes and sucks up loose fur at the same time, so you're not left sweeping up Fido's tumbleweeds afterward.
—Trisha Easto, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Verb
Bryce Harper, star slugger, the Phillie Phanatic's best friend, and baseball hero to children of all ages, brushes his teeth.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
These stocks have climbed for weeks as the market brushes off the narrative that AI is a threat to the cybersecurity industry.
—Morgan Chittum,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 27 May 2026
Tokyo Stylez, Cardi’s hairstylist, brushes out a sleek brown hairpiece, and Erika la’ pearl, her makeup artist, dabs at Cardi’s face while the rapper scrolls through her phone, controlling the music.
—Jazmine Hughes, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
When some chime in to say their doctors had been cautiously optimistic about treatments, Sarah brushes that aside.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
At the Veterans of Foreign Wars post, Commander Tommy Nester finds it behind the ceiling panels, brushes it off the uniforms that aren’t behind glass and sweeps it from the baseboards of the main hall.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 1 Mar. 2026
See how his head brushes the sky.
—Roey Leonardi, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
Elizabeth Scott brushes off the comparison.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Judy brushes him off and leads the way to Cabin Twelve.
—Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushes
Noun
-
The latest incident is one of several risky encounters reported at Iguazu Falls this year, the agency said.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
Authorities at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which spans parts of North Carolina and Tennessee, also reported a spike in encounters between aggressive bears and humans in April.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Yet talent still flows both ways.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
10 Dec. 2025
-
So, the pairing of Shakti and Shiva, feminine and masculine, energy and consciousness, is best understood not as a binary but as the two sides of a Mobiüs strip, where one seamlessly flows into the other.—
Anya Foxen,
The Conversation,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Sofia Carson blows kisses to the camera during the amfAR Gala Cannes 2026 at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 21.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
-
His son Bret recalled his father’s postgame smiles, hugs and kisses with his wife of 58 years Debbie.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Intensify your eyes with the creamy, 24-Hour Waterproof Eyeliner, which glides on smooth for all-day to all-night wear.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
-
For the most part, our world glides silently through space, shielded by Earth’s thin atmosphere.—
Shawn Laatsch,
The Conversation,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
To achieve this, Hank takes control in the dynamic and shaves Aaron’s entire body.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Granted, the sale that also shaves prices (all too briefly) on everything from fashion to home decor can be overwhelming to shop.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
My itinerary with Victory – which also sails along the East Coast and in the Canadian Maritimes – lasted nine nights from Chicago to Toronto.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
-
Before the quartet of late November and December holiday sailings begins, the ship sails an almost identical route along the Seine between March and November.—
Chrissie McClatchie,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Beyond stock selection, Jim touches on portfolio construction and the characteristics that distinguish an ordinary investment from a truly exceptional one.—
Paulina Likos,Zev Fima,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
-
This is a charmingly earnest and ramshackle movie that touches emotional areas that many rom-coms don't.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Cricket drifts far from the contemporary arts scene.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
On Sunday mornings, families gather by the docks along Lake Erie, while church music drifts across the water.—
Kiara Moore,
The Washington Examiner,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brushes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushes. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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