BRUSHES Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Relevance

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of brushes

Noun

Steel Wool and Scouring Pads First and foremost, any cleaning expert will tell you to steer clear of common cleaning tools like steel wool, scouring pads, and rough brushes to clean your stainless steel. — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 28 Sep. 2026 The same thing happens with the new textile, as the wearer moves and their skin brushes against it. — New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2026 Garbage bags, like paint brushes, are not food grade material. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026 Even small items like mason jars can be repurposed to hold pens and pencils or makeup brushes, the Salvation Army team says. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 25 Sep. 2026 In other words, high-quality brushes are an investment built to last. — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2026 What was once a simple shelf of shampoo and brushes now reads more like a beauty counter. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026 All around the studio are things Wesselmann touched, not only his artworks but his brushes and paint tubes and even a pair of gloves (handily labeled TR and TL, for Tom right hand and Tom left hand). — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026 The 27 makeup brushes, hot tools, and hair accessories that have won this year’s Allure Best of Beauty Awards in our Tools category are the kind of hard workers that simplify, streamline, and optimize your routine. — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

There is humiliation here, claustrophobia, physical vulnerability and an intimacy that occasionally brushes against the erotic. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 Lavrov brushes off German diplomat Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was dismissive after the meeting in New York, which was held at German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s request. — Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026 Vicki brushes it off, and even Shannon can’t defend her friend’s callousness. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026 Fertitta brushes off the scuffle between his president and Meloni. — CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 During a penumbral eclipse, the moon merely brushes this outer zone and often appears only subtly dimmed. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Flagrantly practicing an especially ribald strain of cringe comedy that brushes several third rails, often simultaneously, the show could have been a disastrous gambit. — Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Soon after Sally brushes off the comments, her daughters are introduced. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026 Johnson brushes off the skirmishes, broadly speaking, as part of the governing process. — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 30 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushes

Noun

Koltai asks visitors to communicate their expectations and boundaries, but acknowledges that people can feel violated and that staff aren’t always present or equipped to monitor encounters.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Oct. 2026
The 2011 film is told through three outlaws’ expeditions and encounters through 1870s Texas.

— Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of encounters

Verb

Luserna stone, used for flooring, terraces, and the pool deck, flows seamlessly into the interior as well, laid in large bush-hammered and brushed slabs.

— Elena Dallorso, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
That is despite the bank expecting Brent crude to stabilize at approximately $80 per barrel as recent crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz gradually normalize.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of flows

Verb

Its nonslip handle has an ergonomic shape to get a comfortable grip, and the blade glides smoothly to peel away the skin without removing the best parts of the fruit underneath it.

— Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2026
Ma wanted to call me Lili, music that glides off the back of your teeth.

— Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of glides

Verb

Seabourn sails the 264-passenger Seabourn Venture and twin Seabourn Pursuit, two lavish all-suite polar-class expedition ships cruising remote itineraries, each with two submarines.

— Janice Wald Henderson, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
Some of my favorites are coming back too, like El Pulpo Magnifico, Duane Flatmo's fire-breathing octopus, and the Monaco, a 40-foot ship with three masts that sails across dust instead of water.

— Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of sails

Verb

Before the city or state adopts or regulates an AI tool that touches housing, jobs, benefits or immigration, the people affected should be asked first.

— Steven Choi, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
Using private dollars to remake Crandon touches on a number of sensitive political and financial topics for Miami-Dade.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of touches

Verb

And as the story drifts to Miami, London, New York, and back to Kingston again, it’s held together by James’ passion for the era’s pop culture and his characters’ will to survive in the face of hatred.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 22 Sep. 2026
All parents struggle in some way to adjust to life as empty nesters, but Charlie leaves his mom and dad in a somber, reflective state that casts a heavy pall over an episode that drifts toward the turgid.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of drifts

Cite this Entry

Style

“Brushes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushes. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of brushes

noun

verb (1)

verb (2)

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

etiquette

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes