brushstroke

noun

brush·​stroke ˈbrəsh-ˌstrōk 

: the configuration given to paint by contact with the bristles of a brush

also : the paint left on a surface by a single application of a brush or palette knife

—often used figuratively to describe the quality especially of a narrative or description

a story told in broad brushstrokes

Examples of brushstroke in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Re-imagine the night sky, simultaneously tranquil and disquieting, as straw, gold leaf, wood, wire, and sediment mimic thick, impasto brushstrokes to pay homage to one of art history’s most captivating swirls. —Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025

Its Byzantine look is punched with vivid colors and hints of Abstract Expressionist brushstrokes and paint drips. —R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025

In the 1950s, along with widescreen spectacle and casts of thousands, its brushstrokes were brandished to lure viewers away from the pitifully small black and white square in the living room. —Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025

In great paintings, not every brushstroke is planned – but each is carefully considered and accepted. —John P. Nelson, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brushstroke

• awoke
• baroque
• bespoke
• colloque
• convoke
• evoke
• invoke
• keystroke
• kinfolk
• kinsfolk
• menfolk
• provoke