as in flowing
to move or proceed smoothly and readily
a pop star brushing past a crowd of autograph seekers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of brushing
Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
The Bruins would benefit from brushing Joonas Korpisalo’s $3 million average annual value off their books.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Tonight’s aurora chances could ramp up late on Tuesday, May 12, and spill into the early hours of Wednesday, May 13, if the upcoming CME ends up brushing Earth just enough to shake up geomagnetic conditions.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
The scribble art was placed right in the bend of her knee, with some of the design just barely brushing her lower thigh.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 11 May 2026
Instead of haphazardly brushing it into your palm or reaching for a dripping sponge, try a handheld vacuum for a far more efficient solution.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 10 May 2026
Add the flatbreads one at a time, brushing with olive oil first to get them extra crispy.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 9 May 2026
Along one wall, swatches of fabric hang in dense, vertical layers—florals brushing against checks, brocades against stripes—forming a kind of working tapestry.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 7 May 2026
Customers should boil water prior to washing their hands or face, brushing their teeth, drinking or cooking.
—Tanya Babbar, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 May 2026
Verb
New York — American shoppers are brushing off higher gas prices and finally spending money at Target again.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
The Bruins would benefit from brushing Joonas Korpisalo’s $3 million average annual value off their books.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Tonight’s aurora chances could ramp up late on Tuesday, May 12, and spill into the early hours of Wednesday, May 13, if the upcoming CME ends up brushing Earth just enough to shake up geomagnetic conditions.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
The scribble art was placed right in the bend of her knee, with some of the design just barely brushing her lower thigh.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 11 May 2026
Instead of haphazardly brushing it into your palm or reaching for a dripping sponge, try a handheld vacuum for a far more efficient solution.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 10 May 2026
Add the flatbreads one at a time, brushing with olive oil first to get them extra crispy.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 9 May 2026
Along one wall, swatches of fabric hang in dense, vertical layers—florals brushing against checks, brocades against stripes—forming a kind of working tapestry.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 7 May 2026
Customers should boil water prior to washing their hands or face, brushing their teeth, drinking or cooking.
—Tanya Babbar, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushing
Verb
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The amphitheater’s Morton Salt birthright has creative juices flowing.—
Lisa Gutierrez
May 19,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
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More than 85% of the oil and natural gas flowing through the Strait of Hormuz goes to Asia, and many nations there have had to issue emergency energy rationing mandates.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Even with the windows open all the way, the heat is hugging us, kissing us, pinching our cheeks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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Lange captioned a carousel of scenic photos, which included a shot of O'Brien kissing her atop a cliff and pictures of the pair in seaweed barrel baths.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Two guests are already gliding towards a nearby mangrove on paddle boards, while another group are donning snorkel gear, ready to head to a nearby reef.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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Despite their max-cushioning build, these sneakers remain surprisingly lightweight, making gliding through airport terminals or museum tours a breeze.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
Verb
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In practical terms, that is roughly a 1–2 percent reduction in total mission velocity change, which is the equivalent of shaving a few liters off every hundred liters in a long-distance road trip.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
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Gonce's daily life revolves around caring for Jason — administering medicine, preparing food, bathing and shaving him and keeping him safe.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Whitlock was able to recover and make a sliding catch to end the inning, but Wong did not return and was subbed out for Carlos Narvaez to catch the ninth.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
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That led to bulkier versions that helped guard against limbs sliding between the cushion and tubes, ending with a final iteration that, much to Axelsson’s pride, some colleagues didn’t realize was filled with air until its inventor asked them to stand up and hoist it above their heads.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Betting platforms have to call outcomes accurately or they’ll get dropped from the cable-news scroll, and insiders nudging odds toward correct answers help with that.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
19 May 2026
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From July 2024 to July 2025, Charlotte added 20,731 people, and also nudging its population total closer to the 1 million mark, according to Census Bureau estimates released Thursday.—
John Marks,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
Verb
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In another image, Brown was photographed floating underwater in a pool, her dark hair drifting across the bright blue water as sunlight reflected across the surface.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
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The same report notes that Hilton publicly disputes Becerra’s assertion of front-runner status by citing polls indicating a tight race, underscoring that the campaigns are aggressively contesting the narrative rather than drifting in ambiguity.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
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The system also produces a digital twin of the accelerator, a real-time virtual model that lets researchers test changes without touching the live machine.—
Deena Theresa,
Interesting Engineering,
18 May 2026
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Owens, who has frequently criticized Hunter Biden and his family over his business dealings, drug addiction, and the controversy surrounding his laptop, previewed a wide-ranging discussion touching on addiction, politics, faith, and Washington’s political culture.—
Adisa Hargett-Robinson,
The Washington Examiner,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushing. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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