as in waved
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 brandished
The Russian leader has repeatedly brandished the nuclear sword after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to try to deter the West from ramping up support for Ukraine.
—
Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The suspects entered the business, brandished guns at an employee and demanded money, Shih said.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
Illinois State Police said the driver brandished a gun and then fled in the vehicle.
—Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Chatrie handed a teller a note demanding money, brandished a silver-and-black pistol and left with $195,000.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
Fast forward five minutes, and our waiter brandished a new bottle ready for pouring, leaving us stuffed and happy.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Grimes brandished a gun, and Northington and Hyman robbed the store, taking money from the cash register.
—Lily Carey, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2026
So, per the rulebook, referee Slavko Vinčić brandished his yellow card to Camavinga.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Upon arrival, officers determined that one of the suspects brandished an AK-47 style rifle, while the second suspect brandished a handgun.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The suspects entered the business, brandished guns at an employee and demanded money, Shih said.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
Illinois State Police said the driver brandished a gun and then fled in the vehicle.
—Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Chatrie handed a teller a note demanding money, brandished a silver-and-black pistol and left with $195,000.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
Fast forward five minutes, and our waiter brandished a new bottle ready for pouring, leaving us stuffed and happy.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Grimes brandished a gun, and Northington and Hyman robbed the store, taking money from the cash register.
—Lily Carey, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2026
So, per the rulebook, referee Slavko Vinčić brandished his yellow card to Camavinga.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Upon arrival, officers determined that one of the suspects brandished an AK-47 style rifle, while the second suspect brandished a handgun.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandished
waved
Verb
-
Trump gave the crowd a double thumbs up, and Xi waved before both leaders entered the legislature building for talks expected to influence relations between the world’s two largest economies.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
-
Police say Davis waved a gun at the child before Wakefield stepped in front of his son to protect him.—
Chelsea Jones,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brandished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandished. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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