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
Yara Elshebiny, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Up close, the shaggy layers framed her face effortlessly, with the shortest layers brushing just past her eyes and the longest layers grazing her jaw bone.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 6 June 2026
At first, the backup may occur only during longer periods of use, such as when washing your face or brushing your teeth.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 6 June 2026
While some political observers are brushing off speculation that a deluge of ballots could allow Steyer to crawl into the top two, conservative activists are keeping a close watch.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 5 June 2026
Stalter says in the clip, as someone is brushing her hair.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
The sisters, brushing their teeth, speak telepathically, inner thoughts printed in caption text across the screen.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Phillies star Bryce Harper was live-streaming from the bathroom and started brushing his teeth.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
Boiled water should also be used for cooking, brushing your teeth, making ice and preparing food.
—Andre Butso, AJC.com, 22 May 2026
Verb
Starting in third place on Sunday is Hamilton in the Ferrari, followed by teammate and home favorite Charles Leclerc who had to settle for P4 after brushing the wall while trying to retake P1 in the final moments of Q3.
—Yara Elshebiny, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Up close, the shaggy layers framed her face effortlessly, with the shortest layers brushing just past her eyes and the longest layers grazing her jaw bone.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 6 June 2026
At first, the backup may occur only during longer periods of use, such as when washing your face or brushing your teeth.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 6 June 2026
While some political observers are brushing off speculation that a deluge of ballots could allow Steyer to crawl into the top two, conservative activists are keeping a close watch.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 5 June 2026
Stalter says in the clip, as someone is brushing her hair.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
The sisters, brushing their teeth, speak telepathically, inner thoughts printed in caption text across the screen.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Phillies star Bryce Harper was live-streaming from the bathroom and started brushing his teeth.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
Boiled water should also be used for cooking, brushing your teeth, making ice and preparing food.
—Andre Butso, AJC.com, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushing
Verb
-
Billions of dollars are flowing into the game through the NBA’s new TV deal, with even more money likely on the horizon thanks to expansion fees.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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Your creativity is flowing and needs a practical outlet during the Cancer moon.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Verb
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In 2012, Stewart was caught kissing her Snow White and the Huntsman director, Rupert Sanders, in photos that were published online.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 June 2026
-
Jelly Roll is kissing Bunnie XO goodbye.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
Verb
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After dark, visitors may even spot manta rays gliding through the water.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
14 June 2026
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The Americans were less cohesive without Pulisic in the second half, but Reyna still added the finishing touch by gliding into the box and toe-flicking home his first World Cup goal.—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The researchers estimated that those who got neither bright days nor dark nights were shaving five years off their lives.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
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The criticism died down only after shaving off nanoseconds became widespread, making the strategy less profitable.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Four minutes later South Korea created its best chance to score tonight but a sliding Lee Kang-in could not get his foot on a beautiful cross into the box.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
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In the fourth inning, Witt attempted to make a sliding grab on his knees on the infield dirt.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The state in recent months has begun nudging the river district and the eight groundwater districts within the basin to begin taking more concrete steps to slow the depletion.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
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The nurturing Moon enters your 6th House of Daily Routine, nudging you to set a clear calendar block that protects your focus.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
11 June 2026
Verb
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This means there are never any strangers drifting past your breakfast table or competing for loungers.—
Arion McNicoll,
TheWeek,
15 June 2026
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Keeping his thoughts from drifting too much, even about Cuba, has propelled his career forward.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Were the children subjected to the marshmallow test allowed to pursue such gratifying delights, or would merely touching the treats have demonstrated their surrender to short-termism, causing the psychologist who gazed at them through a peephole to return, disappointed?—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
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Bell notes that vegetation touching the house provides pests with a direct bridge inside, so keep shrubs trimmed back.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushing. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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