as in shaggy
covered with or as if with hair
although pigs look hairless, they're actually bristly creatures
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Recent Examples of bristly
Called Utah arrays, they are made of hard silicon and look a bit like the bristly part of a hairbrush.
—
WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022
Thirteen Lives reminds me of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 for its bristly character moments, people caught in extremis.
—Joshua Rothkopf, EW.com, 6 Aug. 2022
Sandstrom’s most recent Squonk is a hairy, wart-covered monster with bristly, unkempt fur, fangs, and ears that curve down submissively.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 19 Apr. 2020
Often, as a bonus, a librarian or teacher will lean in to give Daisy a kiss on her bristly snout, to general glee from the young audience.
—Nora McGreevy, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for bristly
WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022
Thirteen Lives reminds me of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 for its bristly character moments, people caught in extremis.
—Joshua Rothkopf, EW.com, 6 Aug. 2022
Sandstrom’s most recent Squonk is a hairy, wart-covered monster with bristly, unkempt fur, fangs, and ears that curve down submissively.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 19 Apr. 2020
Often, as a bonus, a librarian or teacher will lean in to give Daisy a kiss on her bristly snout, to general glee from the young audience.
—Nora McGreevy, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for bristly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristly
Adjective
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And yet the series is less a document of careful sleuthing and more a shaggy chronicle of teen-like longing for revelation and salvation.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2025
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Another farm experience is Kitchen Coos & Ewes, a safari-like tour of a farm in southwest Scotland with shaggy Highland cows and a record-breaking flock of beltex sheep.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The lack of dihydrotestosterone receptors across the rest of our bodies explains why these areas can remain hairy even after our hairlines have lost their fight against these hormonal changes.—
RJ Mackenzie,
Popular Science,
20 Mar. 2025
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Detailing includes a hairy suede upper paired with golden accents which elevate the shoe.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Subtle and silky tannins in a delicious matrix of dark, chewy flavors.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Whisk it in with the eggs to give your quiche a silky, creamy texture.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bristly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristly. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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