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
as in kissing
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing
spiderwebs brushed her cheek as she walked through the basement
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of brushing
Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Testing the powder on rats fed a high-sugar diet, the team found that brushing with BSCT for just one minute a day was enough to restore the rats' oral microbiome, reduce inflammation, and kill the bacteria that causes periodontitis.
—New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
Handlers spend hours every day brushing their manes and cleaning their horseshoes in addition to training them for media appearances.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
After brushing the snow off your car, the last thing Michiganders want to do amid freezing cold temperatures is clear more ice and slush that's accumulated in their vehicle wheel well.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Hairspray was used with brushing to obtain the best puffy, pillowy look.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Grill covered 4-6 inches above medium-hot coals for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally and brushing with the remaining marinade mixture.
—The Know, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
The visual opens with Styles pacing in a hotel room while calling the front desk, brushing his teeth and getting ready to go out.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Jan. 2026
My son spent two days brushing, shampooing, and riding horses.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2026
Verb
Broil, brushing with remaining sauce in pan halfway through, until salmon is cooked through and sauce is heavily blistered, 12–14 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Testing the powder on rats fed a high-sugar diet, the team found that brushing with BSCT for just one minute a day was enough to restore the rats' oral microbiome, reduce inflammation, and kill the bacteria that causes periodontitis.
—New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
Handlers spend hours every day brushing their manes and cleaning their horseshoes in addition to training them for media appearances.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
After brushing the snow off your car, the last thing Michiganders want to do amid freezing cold temperatures is clear more ice and slush that's accumulated in their vehicle wheel well.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Hairspray was used with brushing to obtain the best puffy, pillowy look.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Grill covered 4-6 inches above medium-hot coals for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally and brushing with the remaining marinade mixture.
—The Know, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
The visual opens with Styles pacing in a hotel room while calling the front desk, brushing his teeth and getting ready to go out.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Jan. 2026
My son spent two days brushing, shampooing, and riding horses.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushing. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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