BRUSHING Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

brushing 1 of 2

verb (1)

present participle of brush

as in flowing

to move or proceed smoothly and readily a pop star brushing past a crowd of autograph seekers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

brushing

2 of 2

verb (2)

present participle of brush

as in kissing

to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing spiderwebs brushed her cheek as she walked through the basement

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 brushing

Verb

This hermetic secrecy is how Allure beauty director Sarah Kinonen and I recently found ourselves in the bathroom of a suite in the Aman hotel on New York’s Fifth Avenue, brushing our teeth while members of the Dyson public relations team looked on. — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026 Protect tooth enamel by rinsing your mouth afterward and not brushing immediately. — Sherri Gordon, HEALTH, 1 Sep. 2026 Essentially, the longest cranial nerve in the body, traveling from the brainstem down through the neck and chest into the abdomen, brushing past the heart, lungs, and gut. — Anita Bhagwandas, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Aug. 2026 Hair to Help In September 2017, Rhys shared a sweet moment with Russell on the red carpet at the New York City Ballet’s 2017 Fall Fashion Gala, gently brushing the hair from her face before the couple posed for photos together. — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 Ten tackles a game last season became as routine as brushing his teeth. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 What Parents Can Do to Help Johns Hopkins advises parents to take their teens’ feelings seriously rather than brushing them aside. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 7 Aug. 2026 Canales has compared switching sides on the offensive line to brushing your teeth opposite-handed, which Freeling agreed was an appropriate analogy. — Joseph Person, New York Times, 27 July 2026 Advertisement That makes brushing about much more than fresh breath. — Angela Haupt, Time, 27 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushing

Verb

Previous research suggested Saturn's hexagon results from an eastward jet within its atmosphere flowing in a curving path near the ringed planet's north pole.

— Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Progress has been hampered by persistent rain and challenging terrain, as crews have to work in a narrow mountain gorge, hemmed in between unstable cliffs and a fast-flowing river.

— Reuters, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of flowing

Verb

In the trailer, Reinhart‘s Olive is shown spontaneously kissing Bateman‘s Adam — a notable Easter egg to the book cover of Hazelwood‘s bestseller — so her best friend Anh can see them.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Among the snapshots were lots of sweet moments with Turner, including photos of the actor kissing her on the cheek as the newlyweds enjoyed time together in the countryside.

— Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of kissing

Verb

The 23-year-old and his Serbia team-mates won the Davis Cup for the first time in December 2010, and fulfilled a promise by shaving their heads in celebration.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Go bananas with shaving cream Have your kids hop into a dry bathtub with their swimsuit on.

— Michelle Crouch, Parents, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of shaving

Verb

Rodriguez ducks away from the challenge before sliding a reverse pass through for Adria Pedrosa to strike at goal.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Faraday Future’s shares peaked with excitement about its EV plans in 2021 and have been sliding since then.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of sliding

Verb

For some, drifting along on a tube is the ultimate way to soak up the scenery.

— Gabi De la Rosa, Travel + Leisure, 31 Aug. 2026
Closer to home, Roman will monitor small variations in light from stars near the center of the Milky Way galaxy in order to infer the presence of rogue planets drifting between the stars.

— Don Figer, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of drifting

Verb

The skillet will be quite full, with the edges of the wrappers touching or slightly overlapping.

— Kate Williams, AJC.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Clean and sanitize surfaces these animals touch, and wash your hands thoroughly before handling food, touching common surfaces or touching your mouth or face.

— Kimberly Baker, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026