brushing 1 of 2

verb (1)

present participle of brush
as in flowing
to move or proceed smoothly and readily a pop star brushing past a crowd of autograph seekers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

brushing

2 of 2

verb (2)

present participle of brush
as in kissing
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 brushing
Verb
What Parents Can Do to Help Johns Hopkins advises parents to take their teens’ feelings seriously rather than brushing them aside. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 7 Aug. 2026 Rather than brushing off the mistaken critique, museum staff decided to lean into the joke. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026 Canales has compared switching sides on the offensive line to brushing your teeth opposite-handed, which Freeling agreed was an appropriate analogy. — Joseph Person, New York Times, 27 July 2026 Advertisement That makes brushing about much more than fresh breath. — Angela Haupt, Time, 27 July 2026 Instead, when you’re done brushing, just spit out that excess toothpaste and let the small amount left over stay on your teeth. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 23 July 2026 While brushing her teeth, Sweeny snapped a photo of herself in a gray cardigan, buttoned half-way down. — Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026 He was arrested on charges of invoking the national flag in his performances, including in a photo published by state run newspaper Granma which depicted the artist brushing his teeth while draping the flag around his waist like a bath towel. — News Desk, Artforum, 21 July 2026 But afterward, Menitoff reacted like most people would, brushing off her arms to make sure the bug had left and even shivering. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushing
  1. flowing
  2. kissing
  3. gliding
  4. shaving
  5. sliding
  6. nudging
  7. drifting
  8. touching
Verb
  • Despite threats of a blockade of the Red Sea’s Bab-al-Mandeb strait from Iran’s Houthi allies, ship traffic has been flowing at a close-to-normal clip through that waterway in recent weeks.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Elsewhere is an exercise room, an art studio, and an office suite with its own entrance, as well as a primary suite boasting a walk-in closet and a luxe bath flowing out to a serene meditation garden with a hot tub.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of flowing
Verb
  • The brother-sister duo made headlines at that ceremony for kissing on the lips on the red carpet.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Jones is accused of committing nine offenses against the man, including kissing him multiple times without consent and touching the man’s genitals while the man was driving.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of kissing
Verb
  • Video from his dash camera shows the aircraft gliding under a highway sign, missing it by mere feet, before touching down in the empty lanes.
    — Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • And there was Nacua, gliding underneath the pass and taking it to the end zone to a roar of cheers.
    — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of gliding
Verb
  • With competition so fierce in the race to build and release the latest AI models however, the expediency of shaving off every possible drag on speed trumps all.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Kath is competitive only about things that matter, like logging steps or shaving her legs, and the game had no bearing on her reality.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of shaving
Verb
  • These guys might do much of the unglamorous work that goes unnoticed, breaking up play, playing short passes and sliding across into position to snuff out counter-attacks, but their role is highly valued in the transfer market.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • An Intensity Slider – a simple sliding bar adjustment for controlling the depth, vibrancy, brightness and contrast of the TV’s pictures to compensate for viewing angles, onscreen reflections and simply different viewing tastes.
    — John Archer, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of sliding
Verb
  • Suddenly, listings could reach far beyond the local neighborhood, nudging open the door to what had long been a niche corner of second-hand shopping.
    — Zoey Goto, Architectural Digest, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The instruments and rhythms dance with Lenae’s sinuous vocals, nudging her into odd pockets, uplifting her notes.
    — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of nudging
Verb
  • Satellite imagery shows a haze of wildfire smoke drifting from West Kalimantan into neighboring Malaysia on several days this month, according to BNPB.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • On Tuesday the Bay Area Air District issued an air quality advisory for Tuesday and Wednesday due to smoke from the Timber Fire drifting into the region.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of drifting
Verb
  • The Anza-Borrego Foundation doesn’t want the high-voltage lines touching any portion of the park.
    — Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2026
  • After the pod places the package on the ground, the patient can collect it without touching the drone or the delivery pod.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of touching

Browse Nearby Words

brush fires
brushing
brushing (aside or off)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushing. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of brushing for Spanish Speakers

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