as in waves
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 brandishes
Christa gleefully brandishes a page she’s ripped out of the phonebook that has her childhood address on it.
—
Hazlitt, 10 Dec. 2025
Harrelson brandishes that anything-goes leer that never gets old.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025
The actor playing Brown wears a red hooded sweatshirt and brandishes a pocket knife similar to the one police say Brown used to fatally stab Zarutska.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025
When a trompo taco is ordered, a cook brandishes a knife of ferocious sharpness, shaving a thin, broad piece large enough to overhang the corn tortilla it’s laid upon.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
Hazlitt, 10 Dec. 2025
Harrelson brandishes that anything-goes leer that never gets old.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025
The actor playing Brown wears a red hooded sweatshirt and brandishes a pocket knife similar to the one police say Brown used to fatally stab Zarutska.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025
When a trompo taco is ordered, a cook brandishes a knife of ferocious sharpness, shaving a thin, broad piece large enough to overhang the corn tortilla it’s laid upon.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandishes
Verb
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Tsunami waves up to 75 centimeters (30 inches) above normal tides were recorded at several monitoring stations around the Molucca Sea coast.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Every now and again, a brand-new book waves its knowing hand.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
If the launch team announces a hold, this indicates a natural pause in the countdown, which is intended to allow for tasks to be performed or for a slight delay so that liftoff will align with a specific launch time that doesn’t disrupt the schedule.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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The hard-throwing, 6-foot-6, 257-pound senior right-hander announces his presence with his first warmup pitch.—
Steve Reaven,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Warrior Week advertises an acceptance rate similar to that of an Ivy League school.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The company’s website advertises its ability to mine public and private databases to perform digital searches for information, as well as its surveillance and investigations services.—
Neena Satija,
Houston Chronicle,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That’s the group that produces the festival.—
Adam Bell
April 2,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
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Film Independent produces the annual Film Independent Spirit Awards and has spent more than four decades championing independent storytelling.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brandishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandishes. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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