1
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
a brief but crucial admonition to keep quiet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in short
not lasting for a considerable time
fortunately, the meeting was brief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flash
lasting only for a short time
a brief flash of light
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in summary
a short statement of the main points
a one-page brief of the intelligence report
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mission
a specific task with which a person or group is charged
the soldiers' brief was to secure the village from enemy attacks
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to inform
to give information to
the lieutenant briefed his superior officers on the state of the enemy's fortifications
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to summarize
to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report)
his duties include briefing intelligence reports for the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brief
Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2026
The release of this data had been delayed owing to another brief, partial government shutdown.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
The initial collection will consist of a seamless or smoothing nylon bra, a seamless or shaping nylon brief, and a seamless or shaping nylon short.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 3 Feb. 2026
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026
The production designer, whose collaboration with writer-director Guillermo del Toro dates back nearly 30 years to the sci-fi drama Mimic, was briefed on the adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic long before del Toro’s script was written.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brief
Adjective
Lucas, during his speech on Wednesday, offered a brief nod at the border war, referencing — but not directly mentioning — Missouri and Kansas City’s recent decisions to exit an economic truce with Kansas that limited cross-state business poaching.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2026
The release of this data had been delayed owing to another brief, partial government shutdown.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
Men’s wet underwear briefs hung drying, an odd sight in this modest society.
—Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
The initial collection will consist of a seamless or smoothing nylon bra, a seamless or shaping nylon brief, and a seamless or shaping nylon short.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
Allies within Starmer’s camp briefed multiple news outlets in November 2025 that the prime minister expected a leadership challenge from Streeting in the coming months.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026
The production designer, whose collaboration with writer-director Guillermo del Toro dates back nearly 30 years to the sci-fi drama Mimic, was briefed on the adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic long before del Toro’s script was written.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
Throughout their 52 years in operation as a family business, Elizabeth’s distinguished itself by honing concise and persuasive staff recommendations.—
Jess deCourcy Hinds
February 13,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
At Calvin Klein, that’s been historically a space for a concise, and essential, point of view on dressing.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Then, in the short track speedskating mixed team relay B final, Julie Letai suffered her own mishap, slipping and crashing into the padding.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Sometimes just a couple of hours with someone, or several short meetings, can really get someone moving in a different way.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Broccoli and Cauliflower Hearty bite-sized florets of broccoli and cauliflower are typically flash-frozen soon after harvest and maintain their crisp-tender texture when cooked from frozen.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
-
To hear top analyst Tom Lee, of Fundstrat, describe the situation, farming never recovered from the invention of flash-frozen foods in the 1920s.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That’s the summary that quickly spread across tabloids and celebrity-news sites.—
Hillary Kelly,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Miami Herald newsroom.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
So our mission, moving forward, will be to compare them with each other.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Why pigeons can outperform drones in some missions The startup argued that pigeons offer practical advantages over conventional drones in specific environments.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The experience informed his attitude toward the Oklahoma Insurance Department, with which Coppermark has had a long and litigious relationship.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Facts need to be robustly and responsibly established before they’re used to inform our decision-making process.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Mo Dakhil, a former video coordinator for the Spurs and Clippers, summarized that discontent in an appearance on Zach Lowe’s podcast this week.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The Miami Herald was the first to report the FBI 302 document, which summarizes the interview.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The little sluiceways through the shoals were only a few inches deep, so the coontail moss was also that much closer to the surface.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
-
That polarization leaves little margin for prosecutorial missteps.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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