brushstroke

noun

brush·​stroke ˈbrəsh-ˌstrōk How to pronounce brushstroke (audio)
: 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
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.
Its finish is long and lush, painting the palate with broad brushstrokes of butterscotch and cinnamon. Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025 Watching the Spurs offense, to me, felt like watching an artist at work—every brushstroke was intentional, and the finished product a masterpiece. Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025 Eventually, the researchers hope that the A.I. will become a Delacroix expert, able to instantly pick out his brushstrokes from existing works and subsequently determine how the painter might have crafted the murals in the Hôtel de Ville. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025 But Ford was drawn to Orlik’s obsessive method: layer upon layer of different-colored hairlike brushstrokes, in acrylic, which together created a sense of dizzying detail. Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for brushstroke

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brushstroke was in 1879

Cite this Entry

“Brushstroke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brushstroke. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!