brushes 1 of 3

noun

plural of brush
as in encounters
a brief clash between enemies or rivals the two advance parties had a brush, but no one was wounded

Synonyms & Similar Words

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brushes

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of brush
as in flows
to move or proceed smoothly and readily a pop star brushing past a crowd of autograph seekers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

brushes

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of brush
as in kisses
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing spiderwebs brushed her cheek as she walked through the basement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brushes
Noun
Store Craft Supplies Keep beads, paint brushes, and other craft supplies organized by storing them in their own upcycled candle jars with a small label if desired. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 9 Aug. 2026 This $9 find keeps utensils in their place (literally), and this sink organizer has a spot for brushes, sponges, dish soap, and even drains water back into the sink for zero mess. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2026 Front and rear scrubbers and a pair of side brushes help to loosen dirt and other debris. — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026 Wipe used brushes with a rag and peel off old paint instead of washing it down the drain. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 Skip the dog beds and brushes, which could harbor fleas and other problems. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026 Other air styler round brushes leave my fine hair looking more wind-swept than blown-out, with a ton of fly-aways. — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 31 July 2026 Collias developed an interest in acting from a young age, but early brushes with the industry diverted her. — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 30 July 2026 Edoya, where brushes have been made by hand since 1718, is around the corner, and Nexpect, an excellent specialty coffee shop, is a short walk away. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
Verb
Soon after Sally brushes off the comments, her daughters are introduced. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026 Out on 6th Avenue, a woman brushes by me holding a tiny white dog. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 4 July 2026 Johnson brushes off the skirmishes, broadly speaking, as part of the governing process. — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 30 June 2026 Bryce Harper, star slugger, the Phillie Phanatic's best friend, and baseball hero to children of all ages, brushes his teeth. — CBS News, 28 May 2026 These stocks have climbed for weeks as the market brushes off the narrative that AI is a threat to the cybersecurity industry. — Morgan Chittum,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 27 May 2026 Tokyo Stylez, Cardi’s hairstylist, brushes out a sleek brown hairpiece, and Erika la’ pearl, her makeup artist, dabs at Cardi’s face while the rapper scrolls through her phone, controlling the music. — Jazmine Hughes, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026 When some chime in to say their doctors had been cautiously optimistic about treatments, Sarah brushes that aside. — Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026 At the Veterans of Foreign Wars post, Commander Tommy Nester finds it behind the ceiling panels, brushes it off the uniforms that aren’t behind glass and sweeps it from the baseboards of the main hall. — Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushes
  1. encounters
  2. flows
  3. kisses
  4. glides
  5. shaves
  6. sails
  7. touches
  8. drifts
Noun
  • Enjoy live music and up-close encounters with animal ambassadors.
    — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • On April 1st, Trump’s presence generated dark comedy and cringily implausible encounters.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of encounters
Verb
  • The Blanco is a tributary of the San Marcos, which flows into the Guadalupe, and on into the Gulf of Mexico.
    — Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The sticking point has been over control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil normally flows.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of flows
Verb
  • In one night, Jowsey kisses 11 out of the 15 women left in the show, even bringing one of them up to his bedroom.
    — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The cast celebrated with selfies taken on digital cameras, kisses, hugs, and smiles, showing a chemistry that bodes well for their onscreen performances.
    — Alessia Amorosini, Vanity Fair, 30 July 2026
Definition of kisses
Verb
  • Start your visit with a ride on the Bretton Woods Skyway Gondola, which glides above the treetops to reveal sweeping views of the Presidential Range painted in brilliant shades of crimson, amber and gold.
    — Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • The dynamic is at its best when Judah glides over IsoKeys’ beats like two kids trying to be suave while hopping an MTA turnstile with one tap.
    — Lei Takanashi, Pitchfork, 27 July 2026
Definition of glides
Verb
  • Its ceramic blades easily tackle coarse hair and its waterproof design makes in-shower shaves a breeze.
    — Sara Coughlin, Allure, 5 July 2026
  • Zillow says that a pale pink bathroom could lose you up to $6,013, while a pale pink kitchen shaves an extra $4,201 off potential buyers' offers.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2026
Definition of shaves
Verb
  • The Jules Verne Trophy is awarded to the boat that sails non-stop fastest around the world.
    — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Adventure Canada Adventure Canada sails to remote parts of the Arctic, including Canada and Greenland, and the company’s trips feature endless fodder for photo enthusiasts.
    — Kristen E. Pope, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026
Definition of sails
Verb
  • The eatery features Midcentury Modern touches with curved cherry wood walls and paneled ceilings, as well as illuminated white onyx Corian surfaces.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • This is why healthcare carries an especially high bar for accountability, and any vendor that touches patient data should be built for HIPAA readiness from the start rather than retrofitted for it later.
    — Brett White, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of touches
Verb
  • The public internet has been scraped, licensing deals are expensive and slow, and synthetic data drifts away from reality when a model learns mostly from itself.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Negotiate your fee and stand firm in your decision before the meeting drifts into vague promises of great exposure and future possibilities.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of drifts

Browse Nearby Words

brushed (off)
brushes
brushes (aside or off)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brushes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushes. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on brushes

Nglish: Translation of brushes for Spanish Speakers

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