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
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
Rinse thoroughly and let the brushes air dry completely before using them again.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
As the years passed, Sarah also had brushes with law enforcement.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 29 Dec. 2024
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
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
Rinse thoroughly and let the brushes air dry completely before using them again.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
As the years passed, Sarah also had brushes with law enforcement.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 29 Dec. 2024
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
-
His encounters include an apparently mute teen acrobat played by Kinski, who appears topless in a scene.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
The Residents Medical model weaves USMLE preparation throughout the candidate's overall pathway, allowing clinical encounters to reinforce academic concepts and academic study to deepen clinical understanding.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
But perhaps most controversial is how the update will affect the program’s multibillion-dollar revenue, which flows into the state’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund each year and is distributed to various programs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
The streets are worse, the parks are underfunded, code enforcement is slower, and city investment consistently flows to other parts of town.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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,
25 May 2026
-
According to legend, anyone who kisses it will be granted the gift of gab.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The verse is tethered to the earth; the chorus glides like a 747.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
4 June 2026
-
In the warmer months, don’t skip a ride on The Morgan, Sagamore’s cruising vessel that glides around Lake George.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The decision to move elections to November shaves several months off the existing terms of the mayor, vice mayor and commissioners.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
-
For beard trims and shaves, go to Pisterzi in Soho.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
16 Apr. 2026
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
-
The storyline parallels government cover-up narratives from the past (Pentagon Papers/Watergate) and today (Epstein Files), and touches on our current dehumanizing immigration policies.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
The research touches on the term benchmaxing, which is the practice of inflating AI benchmark scores not through better models, but through better server configurations.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Smoke from the front burners has farther to travel, and a lot of it drifts sideways into the kitchen before the hood can catch it.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
3 June 2026
-
The smell of simmering garlic and tomatoes drifts through the casual dining rooms where families gather around crowded tables.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brushes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushes. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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