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
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
Use neutral tones and nail art brushes to recreate the look at home, or take these images straight to your nail tech.
—Georgia Day, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
Facial Cleansing Brushes Gentle cleansing brushes are more effective than hands alone at deep cleansing and removing makeup.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2026
Four compartments and two drawers have ample room for your makeup brushes, hair tools, and skin care.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
Concealer brushes lingering on your vanity or bathroom counter can be popped back into your makeup organizer.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026
Check out the many features of bathroom cleaning brushes and what our cleaning expert, Ketia Daniel, has to say about her top brush picks.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Considerations Before Getting Started Don’t use harsh chemicals and cleaners like ammonia, bleach, steel wool pads, or abrasive scrubbers or brushes on stainless steel finishes.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2026
Our Top Makeup Brush Sets When the brushes are thoughtfully designed—think soft, dense fibers and sturdy handles—blending tends to be easier, and your makeup looks that much more polished.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 27 Mar. 2026
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
If someone does bring up his teary picture, Wallake brushes it off.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2025
Judy brushes him off and leads the way to Cabin Twelve.
—Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
With this new insight in hand, Carol brushes herself off and heads back to the hospital to visit Zosia and ask her directly if there’s any way to reverse the Joining.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2025
Noun
Its Triple Lift System independently raises the mop and brushes to guarantee bone-dry rug transitions.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
Use neutral tones and nail art brushes to recreate the look at home, or take these images straight to your nail tech.
—Georgia Day, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
Facial Cleansing Brushes Gentle cleansing brushes are more effective than hands alone at deep cleansing and removing makeup.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2026
Four compartments and two drawers have ample room for your makeup brushes, hair tools, and skin care.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
Concealer brushes lingering on your vanity or bathroom counter can be popped back into your makeup organizer.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026
Check out the many features of bathroom cleaning brushes and what our cleaning expert, Ketia Daniel, has to say about her top brush picks.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Considerations Before Getting Started Don’t use harsh chemicals and cleaners like ammonia, bleach, steel wool pads, or abrasive scrubbers or brushes on stainless steel finishes.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2026
Our Top Makeup Brush Sets When the brushes are thoughtfully designed—think soft, dense fibers and sturdy handles—blending tends to be easier, and your makeup looks that much more polished.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
If someone does bring up his teary picture, Wallake brushes it off.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2025
Judy brushes him off and leads the way to Cabin Twelve.
—Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
With this new insight in hand, Carol brushes herself off and heads back to the hospital to visit Zosia and ask her directly if there’s any way to reverse the Joining.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushes
encounters
Noun
-
Mail delivery service has been completely stopped in one Carson neighborhood due to an increase in coyote encounters in the area, neighbors say.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
For years, the supermodel believed these encounters were simply part of the paycheck.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brushes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushes. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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