brush (off) 1 of 2

brush-off

2 of 2

noun

as in dismissal
treatment that is deliberately unfriendly the mayor tends to give anyone under voting age the brush-off

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 (off)
Noun
But our findings suggest that the mere inclusion of abbreviations, although seemingly benign, start feeling like a brush-off. David Fang, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025 But there are now pressing concerns over whether Trump will pull the U.S. from the alliance as part of his broader brush-off of America's allies—and whether the remaining nations of the Five Eyes could survive it. Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 Alumi-Blast is an apt name for this low sheen coating that looks realistically like cast aluminum that has received a light brush-off abrasive blast at the factory. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 26 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brush (off)
Verb
  • More: 'Boys will be boys': White House shrugs off tariff feud between top Trump aides Tillis’ Democratic opponent posted a video on social media Wednesday hitting the GOP senator on tariffs.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Still, investors shrugged off the backward-looking data as stocks suffered a second day of selloffs over sweeping new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump earlier this week.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • But chipping away at central bank independence, as Trump appears to be doing with his open criticism of the Fed chair and implicit threats of dismissal, is a historically sure way to high inflation.
    Ana Carolina Garriga, The Conversation, 18 Apr. 2025
  • For years, Chicago Public School officials would send dozens of names of problematic employees to monthly board meetings for their dismissals to be signed off on.
    Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Their firm rejection of federal government conditions also emphasizes autonomy's critical role in organizational health.
    Dan Pontefract, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • The 6-foot-11 big man is logging averages of 19.2 points, 10.4 boards, 4.9 dimes, 1.1 swipes and 0.8 rejections across his 75 available contests.
    David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Ukraine talks downgraded: Rubio cancels London trip The U.S. plan, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly rejected, also appears to block Ukraine's ambition to join the NATO military alliance.
    Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Hours before the scheduled execution on Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a final appeal by Mendoza's attorneys to stop the execution.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Many people have perceived his walking off set and the Instagram story as a deliberate snub.
    John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Apr. 2025
  • After the film’s snub originally sparked backlash in Hollywood, and was even unofficially re-voted as Best Picture in 2015, Lee blamed the loss on the Academy’s homophobia last year.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Heyman dismissed fans on social media who have failed to give Rollins his flowers, saying he’s seen pro wrestlers fail in the ring and seen praise on social media for them while others spout nonsense while ignoring historical facts.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • On March 4, the day the order to show cause was to be heard, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Many Americans scorn the Ukrainian flag and people who display it.
    Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Among the biggest global hits has been the XXL Size Wife franchise — the storyline follows a plus-size woman who loses weight and seeks revenge on those who’ve scorned her — which has been remade from its original Chinese into eight languages, including English, Arabic and Portuguese.
    Mathew Scott, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The bombers executed a low pass over Osan Air Base before leaving the South Korean airspace.
    Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
  • The mixed fragments pass over rotating screens that remove cardboard and paper, allowing heavier materials, including plastics, metals and glass, to continue along the sorting line.
    Alex Jordan, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Brush (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brush%20%28off%29. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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