as in to wave
to put into view in a threatening or excited manner
She brandished a stick at the dog. brandished a petition signed by hundreds of town residents
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Recent Examples of brandish
Police were called, and one of the responding officers spotted Scott, who brandished a different knife at the officer before running across Autumn Parkway toward a field, where two more officers arrived and chased him.
—
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 7 May 2025
Gunmen patrolled the sidewalks dressed head to toe in brown camouflage; store windows were boarded up; some of the men perched from the rooftops in tactical gear, brandishing rifles.
—Ulysses Ortega, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Flores pleaded guilty last year to charges of assault on a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2025
Musk's ruthless approach to leading the Department of Government Efficiency — epitomized by a speech in which the Tesla CEO brandished a chainsaw — has drawn lawsuits, pushback from federal workers and criticism from Tesla investors.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brandish
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 7 May 2025
Gunmen patrolled the sidewalks dressed head to toe in brown camouflage; store windows were boarded up; some of the men perched from the rooftops in tactical gear, brandishing rifles.
—Ulysses Ortega, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Flores pleaded guilty last year to charges of assault on a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2025
Musk's ruthless approach to leading the Department of Government Efficiency — epitomized by a speech in which the Tesla CEO brandished a chainsaw — has drawn lawsuits, pushback from federal workers and criticism from Tesla investors.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brandish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandish
Verb
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Falling water can produce electricity via hydropower, and moving ocean water can produce electricity via tidal or wave power.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
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Maya and Sam Rivers brought their almost 2-year-old daughter to the west steps, one of several children playing in the grass, some waving flags.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2025
Verb
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The Beijing municipal government announced an expansion of its consumer subsidy program, adding an extra 5% to the existing 15% subsidy on smart toilets, smart door locks, floor sweepers (including robotics), and garbage disposals.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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More carriage deals will be announced at a later date.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
17 June 2025
Verb
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The aggressive ones, by contrast, often produce symptoms between screenings and are diagnosed clinically.—
Siddhartha Mukherjee,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
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Lenox Corporation has also for years been tapped to design presidents’ official inauguration gifts for both parties — in 2021, the company produced specialty luxury crystal vases for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brandish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandish. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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