variants
also brusk
as in abrupt
being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner
a brusque and unhelpful reply from the clerk in the hardware store
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brusque
Mitchell was forthright, brusque, keen to make his mark.
—
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 30 June 2025
Going from Pitch Stop to Drama Room meant a brusque shift, with all four projects grappling with questions either directly tied to or adjacent to modern masculinity.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 21 June 2025
That voice — brusque, solidly accented, cured in cigarette smoke, marinated in Jack Daniels — comes to me all the time.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
Some have attributed this to his brusque, sometimes confrontational demeanor, others to classist prejudice.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for brusque
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 30 June 2025
Going from Pitch Stop to Drama Room meant a brusque shift, with all four projects grappling with questions either directly tied to or adjacent to modern masculinity.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 21 June 2025
That voice — brusque, solidly accented, cured in cigarette smoke, marinated in Jack Daniels — comes to me all the time.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
Some have attributed this to his brusque, sometimes confrontational demeanor, others to classist prejudice.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for brusque
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brusque
Adjective
-
After reviewing former Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen’s explanation of his abrupt resignation, a Hamilton County judge has agreed to block attorneys’ attempts to question the long-time head of the supermarket giant about his departure from the retailer in open court.—
Alexander Coolidge,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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Just six months ago, Mako could not be touched on his face without showing his teeth and would react to any abrupt hand movements.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For example, In case of curt texts, instead of assuming hostility, default to curiosity.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
-
The judge was curt but courteous; a Spanish-language interpreter was available on a large video screen to his right.—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Yacobi’s defense attorney, however, countered with the findings of a forensic pathologist who said Violet died from blunt force trauma consistent with a fall from a second-story balcony.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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The coroner listed her cause of death as traumatic blunt force injuries and the manner of death as accidental.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In interviews, Candy, who struggled with his weight for much of his life, had to deal with the press making rude comments about his size.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
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This question becomes thornier once Dorotea visits Rocca in prison, finding her rude and abrasive though not irrational.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Busta also received an assist from Papoose and Joyner Lucas, all of them sharing lyrical wordplay and seamless tradeoffs as Busta swung between his trademark dichotomy of rapping to gruff bellowing.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Old Man was short and gruff and had chin whiskers.—
Robert Easton,
Outdoor Life,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
On its opening day, multiple patients from UHI made the short walk across Fisherman Street to the big blue bus to wait for their names to be called.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The advent of short-form cricket has seen fielding standards rise rapidly in the past decade.—
James Wallace,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
With the unlikely help of the snippy Teng (Andy Yu), Morrow learns that Petrovich was sneaking out of his cryo-pod to conspire with Kavalier.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
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The organization sifts through reports of rudeness, terse emails, and snippy interactions, and finds reduced productivity and absenteeism costing companies’ bottom line.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Without it, it will be crashed into Jupiter later this month, bringing an unceremonious, and unnecessary, end to Juno science.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Hinds’ unceremonious departure from the band was revealed this year.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brusque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brusque. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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