as in shaggy
covered with or as if with hair
although pigs look hairless, they're actually bristly creatures
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bristly
Like farmers tilling and watering their fields, the yeti crab dutifully tends its crop by waving its bristly arms.
—
Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 2 Dec. 2011
Called Utah arrays, they are made of hard silicon and look a bit like the bristly part of a hairbrush.
—WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022
Thirteen Lives reminds me of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 for its bristly character moments, people caught in extremis.
—Joshua Rothkopf, EW.com, 6 Aug. 2022
Sandstrom’s most recent Squonk is a hairy, wart-covered monster with bristly, unkempt fur, fangs, and ears that curve down submissively.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 19 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for bristly
Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 2 Dec. 2011
Called Utah arrays, they are made of hard silicon and look a bit like the bristly part of a hairbrush.
—WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022
Thirteen Lives reminds me of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 for its bristly character moments, people caught in extremis.
—Joshua Rothkopf, EW.com, 6 Aug. 2022
Sandstrom’s most recent Squonk is a hairy, wart-covered monster with bristly, unkempt fur, fangs, and ears that curve down submissively.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 19 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for bristly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristly
Adjective
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The researchers found that climate shifts that underwrote the spread of grasslands allowed big sloths to arise, the shaggy mammals then altering those habitats to maintain open spaces best suited to big bodies capable of moving long distances.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
11 July 2025
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The Saja Boys are memorable creations of their own, an over-the-top collection of shaggy haircuts, dewy faces, and bright streetwear that instantly invokes the heartthrobs of BTS or Stray Kids.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Carpet beetle larvae are usually about 1/8-inch long, tan, and covered in hairy bristles.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
30 July 2025
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The smelly, hairy animals with terrible eyesight are actually a type of mammal known as a collared peccary.—
Shelby Slade,
AZCentral.com,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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The silky smooth custard (made with eggs and half-and-half) filling is baked until the top is set but the center is still slightly jiggly, for the perfect texture.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
2 Aug. 2025
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The silky body treatment has since expanded to include a soft-gold-shimmer edition of Fenty Fresh (bergamot, jasmine, and white orchid) that adds extra sheen to your limbs—without looking too obvious.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bristly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristly. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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