Synonyms of brushes

brushes 1 of 3

noun

plural of brush

as in encounters

a brief clash between enemies or rivals

the two advance parties had a brush, but no one was wounded

Synonyms & Similar Words

• encounters
• skirmishes
• fights
• scrapes
• arguments
• quarrels
• brawls
• run-ins
• spats
• battles
• tiffs
• hassles
• squabbles
• rows
• wrangles
• frays

brushes

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of brush

as in flows

to move or proceed smoothly and readily

a pop star brushing past a crowd of autograph seekers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flows
• glides
• sails
• drifts
• bowls
• sweeps
• cruises
• slides
• streams
• slips
• rolls
• races
• speeds
• flies
• rushes
• whisks
• coasts
• breezes
• skims

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• struggles
• stamps
• flounders
• stumbles
• trudges
• shuffles
• limps
• plods
• stumps
• lumbers
• stomps
• tramps
• toils
• labors
• shambles

brushes

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of brush

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

• kisses
• shaves
• touches
• nudges
• caresses
• strokes
• skims
• grazes
• scrapes
• contacts
• pats
• sweeps
• bumps
• misses
• swipes
• skips
• strikes
• rebounds
• glances
• pets
• cuddles
• loves
• bounces
• fondles
• skirts
• sideswipes
• ricochets
• caroms

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hits
• knocks
• impacts
• slaps
• punches
• bangs
• clashes
• swipes
• bumps
• slams
• rams
• smashes
• impinges
• smacks
• crashes
• collides
• whacks
• thwacks
• bashes
• thuds

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of brushes

Noun

Unlike many sonic or rotating brushes that can feel harsh, the L1’s dual-action approach feels more like a professional treatment than a mechanical scrub. — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

The latter has brushes designed specifically for cleaning battery ports and connectors. — Cody Godwin, USA Today, 22 July 2026

This Hourglass set upgrades your entire routine with three of the brand's best-selling brushes. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 July 2026

Some brushes have color jitter or transference effects, which are customizable in the Brush Studio. — Shelby Putnam Tupper, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026

Abrasive sponges, stiff brushes, and harsh products can damage surfaces and are rarely necessary with the right cleaning method. — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 16 July 2026

Remember to use gentle or soft-bristle brushes when cleaning your bottle. — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026

When an insect brushes against these hairs, the leaves snap shut. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 14 July 2026

The style also has a bottom compartment with eight elastic folds, ideal for makeup brushes and travel-sized perfume. — Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2026

Verb

Out on 6th Avenue, a woman brushes by me holding a tiny white dog. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 4 July 2026

Johnson brushes off the skirmishes, broadly speaking, as part of the governing process. — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 30 June 2026

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