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Definitions

brush

[bruhsh] / brʌʃ /
NOUN
tool with bristles for cleaning
Synonyms






VERB
clean, prepare by whisking
Synonyms
Antonyms
STRONGEST


Usage

What are other ways to say brush?

A brush is a brief encounter or skirmish: a brush with the law. Struggle implies vigorous bodily effort or violent exertion: a hand-to-hand struggle. Clash implies a direct and sharp collision between opposing parties, efforts, interests, etc.: a clash of opinions.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It’s almost like there’s an unlimited thirst from anyone in her proximity to lay down their own brush with the incomprehensible at her feet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

The railroads responded by fitting spark arresters to their engines and clearing brush along the tracks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

It even features traces of fingerprints and brush hairs are still visible.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

If you didn’t brush your teeth well enough, you will eventually be paying for that at the dentist!

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026

Unlike timber wolves, brush wolves are not endangered, not protected, and are trapped heavily.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

After so long on the road, driving past despair dotted along the road’s shoulders, Day brushes off a cry for help with a joke.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

When we wonder about his Ukrainian surname, he brushes that off as irrelevant.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Nvidia’s statement concedes that “once released, the weights are beyond the original developer’s control, and modified versions are difficult to trace or reverse”—then brushes this concern aside.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

"Cytology brushes can be used when dry and do an excellent job of harvesting cellular material without damaging the integrity of the artifact being sampled," says Breen.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

We put the lid on the paint, dumped our brushes into a jar of paint thinner Doc had set out, then marched up to the porch.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

The S&P 500 was trading only marginally below its record highs on Friday, as stocks brushed off early weakness to mount a late-day comeback.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026

And yet, Anderson’s “Resident Evil” has always been the butt of the joke, brushed off largely because his movies dared to be different when people wanted more of the same.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

For decades, testosterone deficiency was overlooked and under-researched, and, for many men, symptoms were brushed off as natural signs of aging.

From Slate ● Sep. 13, 2026

Hawaii is still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Lala, which brushed past the southern part of the Big Island last month, bringing destructive winds and severe flash floods.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

But after I brushed my teeth and climbed into bed, I opened the message again.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Dyson this week unveiled an AI-powered toothbrush that it says provides a complete brushing, precision-flossing and mouth-rinsing routine at once.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Moments after Manchester City had put down their first heavyweight marker of the post-Pep Guardiola era by brushing aside Crystal Palace, he was asked live on TV how much he enjoyed the game.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

“I don’t go that deep,” he says, brushing it aside when asked whether there are certain questions he’s trying to answer about being human.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

After initially brushing off LLMs, DeepMind was developing its own chatbots.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

Lily is done with the foundation now, and has moved on to brushing a powder over my face.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish




Vocabulary lists containing brush


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