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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of brushes
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
Automatic car wash brushes can collect dirt and small rocks that scratch your car.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
During the festival, thousands of people gather to scribble their wishes or prayers directly onto colorful paper lanterns with ink brushes before lighting a small flame inside.
—Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
The future of Juventus football walks past, while the cat — nicknamed, with great originality, Juve — brushes against ankles.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
This set of seven makeup brushes comes in a leather case with a shiny rose gold finish.
—Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Each pack includes two medium-bristle brushes.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Over the years, despite concerns about her behavior and her parents’ pleas to get help, Alice’s brushes with health-care professionals are unproductive until she is institutionalized.
—Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2025
This small but mighty cleaner has dual side brushes, multiple cleaning modes, and obstacle-avoidance technology.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
Kat McGowan, NPR, 18 Oct. 2025
Continue reading … NO LAUGHING MATTER – White House brushes off SNL season premiere, calling show 'waste' of time.
—FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
But on the day of Dale’s memorial, everyone brushes their hair, puts on the right clothes, and plays big, grieving family.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
Despite the mess in her apartment, the man, like everyone else in her life, brushes off her fears as the exaggerations of an overactive imagination.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Fog brushes the bluffs like a tide turned into vapor.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Mayor brushes off turmoil amid scandals Adams became the first sitting New York City mayor to be indicted on criminal charges last fall after federal prosecutors accused him of taking lavish flights and hotel stays from Turkish businessmen and officials for more than a decade.
—ABC News, 26 Aug. 2025
Many people only think of insects as pollinators, but pollen also can be spread by a furry chipmunk or even a human who brushes by a low-growing flower and picks up pollen on her shoe.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
Henry brushes it off as a nightmare; after Bug moves on, Beauchamp strokes the medallion and sings himself to sleep.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Aug. 2025
Noun
Merlino had frequent brushes with the law throughout his early life, and in 1989 was convicted of an armored truck heist in which more than $350,000 was stolen, according to the Courier Post.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
Automatic car wash brushes can collect dirt and small rocks that scratch your car.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
During the festival, thousands of people gather to scribble their wishes or prayers directly onto colorful paper lanterns with ink brushes before lighting a small flame inside.
—Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
The future of Juventus football walks past, while the cat — nicknamed, with great originality, Juve — brushes against ankles.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
This set of seven makeup brushes comes in a leather case with a shiny rose gold finish.
—Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Each pack includes two medium-bristle brushes.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Over the years, despite concerns about her behavior and her parents’ pleas to get help, Alice’s brushes with health-care professionals are unproductive until she is institutionalized.
—Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2025
This small but mighty cleaner has dual side brushes, multiple cleaning modes, and obstacle-avoidance technology.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
If the doctor brushes you off or looks at their watch, get a new doctor!
—Kat McGowan, NPR, 18 Oct. 2025
Continue reading … NO LAUGHING MATTER – White House brushes off SNL season premiere, calling show 'waste' of time.
—FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
But on the day of Dale’s memorial, everyone brushes their hair, puts on the right clothes, and plays big, grieving family.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
Despite the mess in her apartment, the man, like everyone else in her life, brushes off her fears as the exaggerations of an overactive imagination.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Fog brushes the bluffs like a tide turned into vapor.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Mayor brushes off turmoil amid scandals Adams became the first sitting New York City mayor to be indicted on criminal charges last fall after federal prosecutors accused him of taking lavish flights and hotel stays from Turkish businessmen and officials for more than a decade.
—ABC News, 26 Aug. 2025
Many people only think of insects as pollinators, but pollen also can be spread by a furry chipmunk or even a human who brushes by a low-growing flower and picks up pollen on her shoe.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
Henry brushes it off as a nightmare; after Bug moves on, Beauchamp strokes the medallion and sings himself to sleep.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushes
encounters
Noun
-
The work—in a way, a series of encounters with random elements of one-click consumerism, including coloring books and marketing guides for dentists—is tedious, repetitive, and demoralizing.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The potential for dream matches against Roman Reigns or even Stone Cold Steve Austin exists, along with blockbuster encounters against Brock Lesnar or GUNTHER.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brushes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushes. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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