brush-off 1 of 2

as in dismissal
treatment that is deliberately unfriendly the mayor tends to give anyone under voting age the brush-off

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brush (off)

2 of 2

verb

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 brush (off)
Verb
Initially, Makua gave Momoa's offer a polite brush-off. Janee Bolden, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025 Some interpreted the moment as a blatant brush-off; however, others pointed out that Brigitte, 72, could simply have been focused on keeping her balance on the airplane steps or preparing herself to greet the Prince and Princess of Wales. Meredith Kile, People.com, 8 July 2025 But our findings suggest that the mere inclusion of abbreviations, although seemingly benign, start feeling like a brush-off. David Fang, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025 But there are now pressing concerns over whether Trump will pull the U.S. from the alliance as part of his broader brush-off of America's allies—and whether the remaining nations of the Five Eyes could survive it. Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 Alumi-Blast is an apt name for this low sheen coating that looks realistically like cast aluminum that has received a light brush-off abrasive blast at the factory. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 26 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brush (off)
Noun
  • Wilcox challenged the dismissal.
    Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The hammer blow was last week's dismissal by the Constitutional Court of Thaksin's daughter and protege Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the sixth prime minister from or backed by the Shinawatra family to be removed by the military or judiciary.
    Panarat Thepgumpanat, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Samsung’s 65-Inch The Terrace is a backyard showstopper, built to shine in direct sunlight and shrug off rain or dust, now $1500 off.
    Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Leaders shrug off emotional labour as soft or distracting.
    Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • There was a unilateral rebuff toward the idea that the industry is experiencing a drummer shortage in general.
    Devon Ivie, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • And then, 11 days later, the movie will appear in theaters nationwide, something that seemed implausible over the years as the rejections kept piling up.
    Tim Casey, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Then an Alabama woman whose pig kidney lasted 130 days before rejection prompted its removal, sending her back to dialysis, helped researchers shift to not-as-sick patients.
    Lauran Neergaard, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The snub wasn't about form but experience.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Barber wasn’t the only Chicago regular with a shocking festival snub.
    Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But Democrats have long conceded that the party needs a new vision after voters soundly rejected their presidential ticket last fall, and internal squabbles about the party’s future have spilled out into the public.
    Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • China has rejected the accusation and accused the Philippines of damaging the coral reef ecosystem in the waterway instead.
    Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Despite lacking any legal education or experience, Routh dismissed his lawyers earlier this year and intends to defend himself at trial.
    Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • When retail loses money, it’s often dismissed as inexperience.
    Anmol Verma, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While oud can be polarizing—prized by some for its longevity and scorned by others for its animalic bite—the version in this bottle is rounder, creamier, and more nuanced than your standard-issue oud oil, with a clarity that feels paradoxical given its depth.
    Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2025
  • In Splitsville, Julie is a wife scorned and ignored.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Brush (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brush%20%28off%29. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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