BRUSHING Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

brushing 1 of 2

verb (1)

present participle of brush

as in flowing

to move or proceed smoothly and readily a pop star brushing past a crowd of autograph seekers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

brushing

2 of 2

verb (2)

present participle of brush

as in kissing

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 brushing

Verb

Eating After Brushing Some people worry that eating breakfast immediately after brushing will cancel out the benefits of brushing. — Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 10 July 2026 Later that day, Loftis approached a 38-year-old woman who was brushing snow off her vehicle near Madison Avenue and West 79th Street. — Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026 Temasek invested in Luckin only after the company’s legal and governance issues were resolved, Chia said, brushing off questions about a relisting, saying Luckin’s priority should be building a durable business first. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 8 July 2026 This includes washing hands, brushing teeth, and drinking, according to the city. — Mary Ella Hastings july 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026 Early in the night, Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras irked Cavalli by brushing by him at the end of the first inning. — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 7 July 2026 Receding gums, persistent bad breath and bleeding while brushing or flossing round out the common signs of the gum disease and decay that eventually lead to tooth loss. — Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026 Officials are advising anyone who experienced a water outage or low water pressure in the affected area to boil tap water before using it for drinking, cooking, preparing baby food or brushing their teeth. — Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 1 July 2026 In my test shot, a sneaker remained, but brushing over it re-created the rocks underfoot. — Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 29 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushing

Verb

The chances started flowing as Argentina laid siege to the England goal.

— Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
To keep water flowing while negotiations continued, the district last year quadrupled its monthly base rate to $568.

— Nina Burns, CBS News, 14 July 2026

Definition of flowing

Verb

In the post, the couple, who tied the knot in July 2025, is seen kissing on the beach as Jenner holds up a series of ultrasound photos.

— Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 44, were photographed embracing and kissing at a charity polo game on July 10 in Windsor, England.

— Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Definition of kissing

Verb

Who are these slimy gastropods that have been gliding across Earth since before the Ice Age?

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
From royal events to sporting matches to gliding down ski slopes as kids on vacation, rarely did the public see one without the other.

— Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Definition of gliding

Verb

The Moon conjoins surprising Uranus in your 4th House of Home and Family, nudging rhythm changes and fresh feelings around your private world.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2026
With its growing range, the company has also recently begun nudging users towards its $20-per-month Meta One Premium subscription by capping the Conversational Focus feature at just three free hours per month.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 8 July 2026

Definition of nudging

Verb

Adkins then began stabbing himself with the box cutter and drifting in and out of consciousness, the affidavit states.

— Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026
There was the part of her that was drifting, happy to lie in silk sheets and drink milk and sit with a gull on her lap, rapt, staring into eternity.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026

Definition of drifting

Verb

But with returns fraud now touching nearly every corner of retail, the report argues that treating returns as a strategic problem, not just an operational headache, may be the only way to keep it from getting worse.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 July 2026
And thank you to James for touching all of our lives with your amazing light.

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 12 July 2026

Definition of touching

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“Brushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushing. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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