bristles 1 of 2

noun

plural of bristle
as in fibers
a thin, flexible structure that resembles a hair a hairbrush with plastic bristles

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bristles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bristle
1
as in bursts
to be copiously supplied a recent college grad thrilled to be starting a new life in a city bristling with possibilities

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in storms
to express one's anger usually violently the man bristled at the accusation, and threatened to file a lawsuit

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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 bristles
Noun
Rubio, however, bristles at any discussion of his political intentions. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026 Keep a broom by the door, and she’ll be tricked into counting the bristles. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 17 Oct. 2026 This configuration allows the bristles to make contact with the scalp, assisting in thorough detangling and ensuring no section is missed, even with voluminous locks. — Laura Sandroni, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2026 Cleveland Clinic warns that hard bristles and aggressive scrubbing can wear down enamel and damage gum tissue. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026 Cleveland Clinic warns that hard bristles and heavy pressure can wear down enamel and damage gum tissue. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026 Cyrus ignores the correction and later bristles when Adam decides to extend his military service for another five years. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 The bristles tend to catch knots and tear them, as opposed to working through them. — Eden Stuart, Allure, 22 Sep. 2026 After washing, Adriano advises laying brushes flat or upside down to dry, with the bristles pointing downward. — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
Raised in Puerto Rico by parents with both Boricuan and Cuban heritage, Bermúdez bristles at attempts to divide Latinos. — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 Even Deramas himself makes an appearance near the film’s coda, in which the director bristles at Ina for interrupting his shooting set. — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026 Because Klaveness is not the only football governor who bristles at the way Infantino does business. — Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026 Luiselli crafts a novel of ideas that challenges the very idea of narrative, yet one that bristles with raw feeling. — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026 Still proud of her pioneer status, Val bristles at this. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 May 2026 Langley is not the kind of country singer who bristles at the genre’s conventions. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 8 May 2026 Anderson bristles at the notion of any one-size-fits-all philosophy to correcting the problem of strikeouts. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026 Salt, responding to this charge, bristles a touch at being called mainstream and says her taste is more complex. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristles
  1. fibers
  2. bursts
  3. storms
  4. threads
  5. buzzes
  6. rages
  7. bulges
  8. fumes
Noun
  • The findings suggest that microbial fibers could offer a biodegradable alternative to some synthetic materials used to stabilize soil.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The space also tells the story behind Loro Piana’s precious fibers and fabrics including vicuña, cashmere and baby cashmere, The Gift of Kings, cotton and linen.
    — David Moin, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of fibers
Verb
  • In these moments, the actor bursts through his roles as the Spider does through Reilly, unleashing the Grand Guignol excess that is Nicolas Cage.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Things quickly take a terrifying turn during surgery when a scorpion tail suddenly bursts through Perry’s back, attacking one of the surgeons mid-operation.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of bursts
Verb
  • Saturday, the system sent a long band of powerful thunder storms up the center of Georgia.
    — Bill Chappell, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026
  • So the group storms an elite gala in Greece hosted by vapid billionaire Ben Bracken (Vincent Cassel).
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of storms
Noun
  • Misfolded tau can also recruit other healthy tau proteins, encouraging them to adopt the same abnormal shape, accumulating as knotted threads known as fibrillar aggregates.
    — Mike McRae October 13, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Other fans were quick to highlight seemingly recurring threads of anti-Blackness within Adéla’s fast-growing fandom.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of threads
Verb
  • Best Time To Visit As a lake town, Coeur d’Alene buzzes with activity in the summer months, but fall is arguably its best season.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Elimar, the ground floor restaurant, buzzes at breakfast with a spectacular spread including giant wheels of parmesan and sides of prosciutto, fruit, egg and pancake stations, and a gluten-free section.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of buzzes
Verb
  • And as the war rages on some four years later, SpaceX’s terminals are once again making headlines.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Not surprisingly, the ballooning price of oil was the driving force behind the inflationary bump as the war in Iran rages on and energy exports remain tied up in the Strait of Hormuz.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of rages
Verb
  • According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a brain aneurysm is a weakened area in an artery that bulges outward and fills with blood.
    — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of bulges
Verb
  • Anyone who fumes at neighbors who don’t pick up after their dogs can identify with the surveillance-welcoming residents of Seine-Saint-Denis.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Dec. 2023
Definition of fumes

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Cite this Entry

“Bristles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristles. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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