brush 1 of 3

as in encounter
a brief clash between enemies or rivals the two advance parties had a brush, but no one was wounded

Synonyms & Similar Words

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brush

2 of 3

verb (1)

brush

3 of 3

verb (2)

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brush
Noun
The incident isn’t Mitchell’s first brush with law enforcement. Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025 With this brush with a violent predator, the Season 1 premiere finds Morgan sheltering in place at home with her kids and her ex Ludo (Taran Killam) while a police officer watches over the house outside. Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
Another, also built from white disks on a bending wire, evokes a mechanized Japanese cherry tree, its circles—perched high on a narrow stem—not revolving so much as brushing quickly past one another. Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025 The second verse is no less random, with lyrics about moonwalking on a UFO, dropping bars while brushing teeth and a shout out to legendary 2001 blaxploitation-adjacent comedy Pootie Tang. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for brush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brush
encounter
Noun
  • The violent encounter was captured on train surveillance video.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Since then, the legal safeguards against such encounters have weakened.
    Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Brush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brush. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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