as in thicket
a thick patch of shrubbery, small trees, or underbrush
cleared away the brushwood in order to build a shed
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Recent Examples of brushwood
Here, the train rolls into one of Scotland’s most remote stations, arriving via a line built up on a raft of roots and brushwood because traditional foundations failed in the boggy ground.
—
Rosie Conroy, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
During one expedition to what was once London, a young scientist, out gathering brushwood, unearths a small vacuum flask, inside which is a handwritten account of life in a small village called Beadle during the days leading up to the lunar catastrophe.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2023
Bare dunes were planted with ‘brushwood and windbreaks, perpendicular to wind direction’ so that the dunes do not interfere with the canal system and irrigated farmlands.
—Azera Parveen Rahman, Quartz, 27 Oct. 2022
To prove it, a model fort wall was built, with a huge pile of brushwood leaning against it.
—National Geographic, 3 Mar. 2016
Rosie Conroy, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
During one expedition to what was once London, a young scientist, out gathering brushwood, unearths a small vacuum flask, inside which is a handwritten account of life in a small village called Beadle during the days leading up to the lunar catastrophe.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2023
Bare dunes were planted with ‘brushwood and windbreaks, perpendicular to wind direction’ so that the dunes do not interfere with the canal system and irrigated farmlands.
—Azera Parveen Rahman, Quartz, 27 Oct. 2022
To prove it, a model fort wall was built, with a huge pile of brushwood leaning against it.
—National Geographic, 3 Mar. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushwood
Noun
-
The solution, Shive and Conway said, is removing many of the overgrown smaller trees that surround the giant sequoias in dense thickets, like white fir, red fir and incense cedar.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The oasis is packed with dense thickets of date palms and banana plantations.—
Julie Bourdin,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
However, the best mode of transportation to truly witness the forest’s treasures and explore is on foot.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
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Trails lead through the forest to caves, scenic overlooks, and other rock formations, like a 50-foot-high natural bridge.—
Julia Sayers Gokhale,
Midwest Living,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His house sits across from what used to be a thick copse of woods.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Captured by the photographer Lee Jaffe in 1983, Basquiat wears a wide-brimmed hat against a blue summer sky, a copse of softly out-of-focus trees visible in the background.—
Laura May Todd,
Vogue,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The two most straightforward of the trials will involve large-scale planting of trees and bioenergy crops, including Miscanthus grasses and coppice willow, reports Robert Lea for AZoCleanTech.—
Alex Fox,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 May 2021
-
Another strategy, called short rotation coppice, involves planting fast-growing trees such as willows and poplars in extremely dense rows.—
Eric Toensmeier,
Scientific American,
1 Aug. 2020
Noun
-
Effortlessly stylish but wholly unpretentious, São Lourenço’s charming whitewashed buildings sit within vast stretches of organic vineyards, ancient olive groves, and wildflower meadows.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Director of Horticulture Joann Vieira walked through a grove where the damage was easy to see.—
Jacob Wycoff,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Smaller bush-type, or determinate, tomatoes can survive without support, but staking can help in the long run.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Berta Lepe, one of Greenhaven's caregivers, found Hernandez under a bush, wearing only a shirt and underwear.—
Jordan Rau,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This beautiful park rises from the heart of Marin County and includes deep canyons and sweeping hillsides are covered with cool redwood forests, open grasslands and sturdy chaparral.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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Natural phenomena and animal science Five miles east of town, the University of California’s Hopland Research and Extension Center spans 5,300 acres of oak woodland, grassland, chaparral and riparian habitat, operating since 1951.—
Audrey T. Williams,
Mercury News,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Earlier this month, a Frontier Airlines flight taxiing on the ground at Los Angeles International Airport had to slam on the brakes after two trucks passed in front of it.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The package is completed with Braketec brakes and Michelin Enduro Medium tires.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brushwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushwood. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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