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

Hanin and Guariglia — who was at the time an attorney but has since been disbarred — had several brushes with police during their relationship, records show. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026

Florida saw some tropical headaches in the years that followed, including brushes with Dennis, Katrina and Wilma in 2005 and the flooding of Tropical Storm Fay in 2008. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

Finger-painted over generations and later created using brushes made from fur and plants, the ancient rock art is thought to have served as a visual language for prehistoric peoples. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026

At a time when the glossy magazine profile seems hopelessly compromised, Syme uses her deep knowledge of musicals, fashion, and old Hollywood to add substance to what could be breezy brushes with fame and fortune. — Merve Emre, The New York Review of Books, 11 Aug. 2026

There are no brushes, for instance, though there are traces of brushwork. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Store Craft Supplies Keep beads, paint brushes, and other craft supplies organized by storing them in their own upcycled candle jars with a small label if desired. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 9 Aug. 2026

This $9 find keeps utensils in their place (literally), and this sink organizer has a spot for brushes, sponges, dish soap, and even drains water back into the sink for zero mess. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2026

Front and rear scrubbers and a pair of side brushes help to loosen dirt and other debris. — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026

Verb

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

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

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