BRUSHES Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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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

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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

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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

The group takes historic properties and brushes off the dust to reveal their splendor. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Steel Wool and Scouring Pads First and foremost, any cleaning expert will tell you to steer clear of common cleaning tools like steel wool, scouring pads, and rough brushes to clean your stainless steel. — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 28 Sep. 2026 The same thing happens with the new textile, as the wearer moves and their skin brushes against it. — New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2026 Garbage bags, like paint brushes, are not food grade material. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026 Even small items like mason jars can be repurposed to hold pens and pencils or makeup brushes, the Salvation Army team says. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 25 Sep. 2026 In other words, high-quality brushes are an investment built to last. — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2026 What was once a simple shelf of shampoo and brushes now reads more like a beauty counter. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026 All around the studio are things Wesselmann touched, not only his artworks but his brushes and paint tubes and even a pair of gloves (handily labeled TR and TL, for Tom right hand and Tom left hand). — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Verb

There is humiliation here, claustrophobia, physical vulnerability and an intimacy that occasionally brushes against the erotic. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 Lavrov brushes off German diplomat Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was dismissive after the meeting in New York, which was held at German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s request. — Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026 Vicki brushes it off, and even Shannon can’t defend her friend’s callousness. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026 Fertitta brushes off the scuffle between his president and Meloni. — CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 During a penumbral eclipse, the moon merely brushes this outer zone and often appears only subtly dimmed. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Flagrantly practicing an especially ribald strain of cringe comedy that brushes several third rails, often simultaneously, the show could have been a disastrous gambit. — Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Soon after Sally brushes off the comments, her daughters are introduced. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026 Johnson brushes off the skirmishes, broadly speaking, as part of the governing process. — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 30 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushes

Noun

Such encounters allow audiences to ask how an experience becomes a film, and what the filmmaker learns in making it.

— Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
The 16- and 17-year-old boys were identified Sunday after New Castle County police received information that helped investigators track them down following the encounters in the Mallard Pointe neighborhood.

— Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of encounters

Verb

Luserna stone, used for flooring, terraces, and the pool deck, flows seamlessly into the interior as well, laid in large bush-hammered and brushed slabs.

— Elena Dallorso, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
That is despite the bank expecting Brent crude to stabilize at approximately $80 per barrel as recent crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz gradually normalize.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of flows

Verb

Its nonslip handle has an ergonomic shape to get a comfortable grip, and the blade glides smoothly to peel away the skin without removing the best parts of the fruit underneath it.

— Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2026
Ma wanted to call me Lili, music that glides off the back of your teeth.

— Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of glides

Verb

Seabourn sails the 264-passenger Seabourn Venture and twin Seabourn Pursuit, two lavish all-suite polar-class expedition ships cruising remote itineraries, each with two submarines.

— Janice Wald Henderson, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
Some of my favorites are coming back too, like El Pulpo Magnifico, Duane Flatmo's fire-breathing octopus, and the Monaco, a 40-foot ship with three masts that sails across dust instead of water.

— Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of sails

Verb

The actor plays 007, of course, fighting against Javier Bardem’s Raoul Silva this time around in a story that touches on the very legacy of the big-screen super-spy.

— Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Finishing touches on the church will wrap in the next few months and will include an ADA-accessible ramp.

— Nancy Jiang, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of touches

Verb

Filmed largely in natural daylight, the film drifts between still, unhurried, panning shots to evoke not only the spiritual energy that keeps the temples humming but also a world in slow, gradual decay.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
After the low pressure area drifts toward the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, the Gulf Coast of the United States is the likely destination.

— Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of drifts

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“Brushes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brushes. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of brushes

noun

verb (1)

verb (2)

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