1
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
a brief but crucial admonition to keep quiet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in short
not lasting for a considerable time
fortunately, the meeting was brief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flash
lasting only for a short time
a brief flash of light
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in summary
a short statement of the main points
a one-page brief of the intelligence report
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mission
a specific task with which a person or group is charged
the soldiers' brief was to secure the village from enemy attacks
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to inform
to give information to
the lieutenant briefed his superior officers on the state of the enemy's fortifications
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to summarize
to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report)
his duties include briefing intelligence reports for the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 brief
Lolita Mang, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2024
Anticipation without hesitation seems to be the style on view in my limited demo, yet there are still plenty of other examples in WIRED's brief ride.
—Ben Oliver, WIRED, 13 Dec. 2024
Emily Mercer, WWD, 5 Dec. 2024
The briefs were authored by Tricia Wilson Magee and other attorneys from Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick and Latham & Watkins.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Dec. 2024
Polo Sandoval, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
As the winds dropped off Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles ended its red flag warnings but said that elevated to brief critical conditions would linger into Thursday for breezy areas such as southwest Santa Barbara County and the San Gabriel Mountains.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brief 
Adjective
Already a fan favorite, the song—widely believed to be inspired by her brief relationship with Jake Gylenhaal—was re-released as a 10-minute epic in 2021, alongside a short film, starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien, directed by Swift herself.
—Lolita Mang, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2024
Anticipation without hesitation seems to be the style on view in my limited demo, yet there are still plenty of other examples in WIRED's brief ride.
—Ben Oliver, WIRED, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
Related Articles The debut swim collection features classic bikini top and bottom styles designed to be mixed and matched, as seen through monochrome neutral-hued bandeau, triangle and balconette tops with high-waisted or slim bikini briefs.
—Emily Mercer, WWD, 5 Dec. 2024
The briefs were authored by Tricia Wilson Magee and other attorneys from Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick and Latham & Watkins.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Dec. 2024
Verb
Representatives of the federal agencies investigating the drones who have briefed local officials behind closed doors said the drones sometimes appear to fly in a coordinated pattern and can sometimes be in flight for up to six hours, according to Montvale, New Jersey, Mayor Mike Ghassali.
—Polo Sandoval, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
As the winds dropped off Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles ended its red flag warnings but said that elevated to brief critical conditions would linger into Thursday for breezy areas such as southwest Santa Barbara County and the San Gabriel Mountains.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
Anika Dhar My opening note at final Tribal will be clear and concise.Dalton Ross, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2024
-
Families can type or speak questions into a chat box, and Allison responds immediately with concise, reliable answers.Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
And then there's North Beach, a secluded, scenic 1,000-foot stretch along the Caribbean just a short walk from the main resort area.Beth Luberecki, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
-
Most canines can go on walks if the temperature doesn't fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but those with shorter coats will be more sensitive, according to the website Dogster.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The German figures come a day before the scheduled release of flash inflation data for the euro area, which will be closely watched by investors for guidance on the odds of another interest rate cut from the European Central Bank.Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2024
-
Residents who live near the intersection where the accident occurred said the flash mobs of street takeovers have become weekly occurrences in their neighborhood.Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022
Noun
-
But Kamara left a short time later, according to the District Attorney’s Office summary of the case.Jeff Mcdonald, The Mercury News, 10 Dec. 2024
-
The social media platform already has agreements with both companies for summaries of Reddit posts to come up in Google searches and ChatGPT responses.Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
But after conducting a review of Ingenuity's final flight, mission managers at JPL say the helicopter could serve another purpose on the Red Planet.Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
-
Advertisement Elsewhere, a building housing a number of diplomatic missions in Port Vila — including those of the United States, Britain, France and New Zealand — was significantly damaged, several of its tenants said.Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
This helped the design inform several storytelling beats.Mark Blankenship, IndieWire, 7 Dec. 2024
-
At the end of last week’s episode, a messenger informs Claire that her husband Jamie (Sam Heughan) has been lost at sea on his way to the American Colonies.Hunter Ingram, Variety, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Buried in the thousands of pages of medical records, correspondence and memos that build the hospital’s case against Weiner is a single sheet that summarizes the dying moments of seven people.J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 7 Dec. 2024
-
Grande then tried to summarize what went awry in the interview.Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Bieber assumes little, to no risk in the agreement.Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
-
In the Midwest, ground blizzards develop with little or no new snowfall.Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 7 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to brief
Thesaurus Entries Near brief
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share