BRUSHING (OFF) Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

brushing (off)

verb

present participle of brush (off)

as in winking (at)

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushing (off)

Verb

Publicly, the White House is shrugging off the legal setbacks.

— Toluse Olorunnipa, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026
Paul said, referring to an interview Edwards did several years ago shrugging off the Phoenix Suns’ addition of Kevin Durant.

— Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of shrugging off

Verb

The program was established by state lawmakers in 2018 as a way to help stem the tide of mental illness in jails and prisons, usually by dismissing cases and offering treatment for the underlying conditions behind a defendant’s arrest.

— Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Manchester, for example, was in court for a year after dismissing a contractor from the Parkade redevelopment job, and ended up paying $2 million.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026

Definition of dismissing

Verb

El-Sayed has built his campaign around bold policy proposals, rejecting corporate PAC money and casting himself as an alternative to the status quo of the Democratic Party.

— Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Kalshi lost an attempt to override New York’s state gambling laws yesterday, with a federal judge rejecting the prediction market operator’s request to prevent enforcement of the rules.

— Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026

Definition of rejecting

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Style

“Brushing (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushing%20%28off%29. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of brushing (off)

verb

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