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

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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

If additional hold is needed, Marjan recommends spraying Paul Mitchell Firm Hold Super Clean Extra Hairspray on the roots and brushing back before wrapping a second elastic around everything. — Marci Robin, Allure, 21 Aug. 2026 After brushing off any remaining crumbs, Lova made her way to the John Rylands Library, a neo-Gothic building of crimson sandstone that dominates the high street. — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026 Hair to Help In September 2017, Rhys shared a sweet moment with Russell on the red carpet at the New York City Ballet’s 2017 Fall Fashion Gala, gently brushing the hair from her face before the couple posed for photos together. — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 Ten tackles a game last season became as routine as brushing his teeth. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 What Parents Can Do to Help Johns Hopkins advises parents to take their teens’ feelings seriously rather than brushing them aside. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 7 Aug. 2026 Canales has compared switching sides on the offensive line to brushing your teeth opposite-handed, which Freeling agreed was an appropriate analogy. — Joseph Person, New York Times, 27 July 2026 Advertisement That makes brushing about much more than fresh breath. — Angela Haupt, Time, 27 July 2026 Instead, when you’re done brushing, just spit out that excess toothpaste and let the small amount left over stay on your teeth. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 23 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushing

Verb

The flooding also prompted alerts in northern India, where authorities evacuated thousands of people in Bihar as rivers flowing from the Himalayas rose.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
That platform has paid out $30 billion since 2016; that's 80% of overall money flowing through the site.

— Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of flowing

Verb

In the trailer, Reinhart‘s Olive is shown spontaneously kissing Bateman‘s Adam — a notable Easter egg to the book cover of Hazelwood‘s bestseller — so her best friend Anh can see them.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Among the snapshots were lots of sweet moments with Turner, including photos of the actor kissing her on the cheek as the newlyweds enjoyed time together in the countryside.

— Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of kissing

Verb

The 23-year-old and his Serbia team-mates won the Davis Cup for the first time in December 2010, and fulfilled a promise by shaving their heads in celebration.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Go bananas with shaving cream Have your kids hop into a dry bathtub with their swimsuit on.

— Michelle Crouch, Parents, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of shaving

Verb

The Braves spent their afternoon with Little League baseball players, sliding down hills and laughing alongside children who will remember Sunday for the rest of their lives.

— Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Defender Kevin O'Toole poked the ball away, but Mboma Dem put away a sliding first-touch shot that opened the scoring in the 11th minute.

— CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of sliding

Verb

This concludes a much more low-key episode than the pilot but one that keeps its characters in full view while nudging each mystery carefully forward.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
Fifty years in the shadows, gently nudging Southland kids into the light.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of nudging

Verb

The generation with the most to lose The clearest evidence that confidence and competence are drifting apart shows up in the generational data.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Dark, light-absorbing particles turn into light-scattering particles, transforming dark, dense plumes into the milky white haze seen drifting across the eastern skies.

— Michael A. Robinson, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of drifting

Verb

Up until that point, Whisenhunt had thrown 27 of his 46 pitches for strikes, with a four-seam fastball touching 95 mph and a sinker in the 93-94 mph range.

— Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Burger Box at 201 E Kennedale Pkwy in Kennedale scored 57 after inspectors noted multiple violations, including an employee handling raw meat and then hamburger buns with the same gloves and employees touching ready-to-eat foods with bare hands.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026