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
No brusque acceleration but assertions of near-zero inflation clearly ring false.
—
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 14 Sep. 2025
The result was completely was enchanting, including the brusque Communist-era service.
—Sarah Turner, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The drama is often bracingly straightforward; characters declare their motives and enact their plans with brusque directness.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 July 2025
The same substantive deficits afflict Louise-Parker, too, whose bright eyes and brusque wit are wasted in a role that’s villainous potential exists only in exposition.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for brusque
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 14 Sep. 2025
The result was completely was enchanting, including the brusque Communist-era service.
—Sarah Turner, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The drama is often bracingly straightforward; characters declare their motives and enact their plans with brusque directness.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 July 2025
The same substantive deficits afflict Louise-Parker, too, whose bright eyes and brusque wit are wasted in a role that’s villainous potential exists only in exposition.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for brusque
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brusque
Adjective
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While some of these chains have faced ongoing issues, others are experiencing abrupt downturns after enjoying recent periods of strength — with no turnaround in sight.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Nearly 7 million people on Medicare use telehealth services every year to see their doctors, but the federal shutdown put an abrupt halt on payments covering those services.—
Yuki Noguchi,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The right’s defense is equally blunt.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Hosts often want to hint that the evening is wrapping up without being blunt.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Patterson was hired in a guest role as the gruff diner owner with a heart of gold, Luke Danes.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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Burr plays a gruff American record-store owner who convinces a ragtag gang of teenage misfits that their best, and possibly only, chance to lose their virginity before graduating high school is at a massive open-air mass for the visiting Pope.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Others were more curt, saying that the speech is nothing but hot air.—
Al Weaver,
The Hill,
22 Oct. 2025
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Less than a day later, a curt follow-up email landed in many of their inboxes informing them that they weren’t being let go after all.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Pierre was short, with a white beard and flamboyant wild hair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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These bacteria ferment or break down prebiotics, releasing compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
People who are rude or unaware with receptionists can poison your culture, create unnecessary hierarchies, and drive your best people to leave.—
Jessica Neal,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
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In a post on the AITA subreddit, the original poster (OP) explained that her sister, 34, who's always rude to her, has a 6-year-old son.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brusque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brusque. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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