as in gleam
brightness created by light reflected from a surface
after some much-needed polishing, the silver tea set had a brilliant burnish
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to rub
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
burnished the floor of the ballroom to a soft luster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burnish
Caleb Crain, Harper's magazine, 22 July 2019
Perhaps the open roasting caused the sugar to caramelize, adding a slightly bitter burnish that mitigated the awful sweetness.
—Mimi Sheraton, The Seattle Times, 25 Sep. 2018
Will Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
At 5-foot-8, Marchand long ago burnished his reputation as one of the peskiest players in the league.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burnish
Noun
As each streetlamp passed, the burnish of its reflected light rolled up alongside them on the asphalt, like a dolphin curious about a new boat in her waters, and then veered away.
—Caleb Crain, Harper's magazine, 22 July 2019
Perhaps the open roasting caused the sugar to caramelize, adding a slightly bitter burnish that mitigated the awful sweetness.
—Mimi Sheraton, The Seattle Times, 25 Sep. 2018
Verb
His very public opposition to President Donald Trump’s hunt for migrants in Chicago is undoubtedly burnishing his standing among those left of center for being courageous and true to the cause.
—Will Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
At 5-foot-8, Marchand long ago burnished his reputation as one of the peskiest players in the league.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burnish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burnish
Noun
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As Jarrett revisited that encounter, a gleam entered his eyes.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
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At about 100 times that distance, the optical gleam of Earth’s city lights would fade to black—better but still far short of even our next nearest star.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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And yet, in this case, the notion of human improvement rubs me the wrong way.—
Jaron Lanier,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
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The herbed butter rubbed onto the corn cobs is what really makes this recipe magic.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This image features a deep field view of the Cassiopeia constellation immersed in the glow of ionized hydrogen gas, where the two small planetary nebulas can be found, Abell 6 and the larger HFG1.—
Miguel Claro,
Space.com,
22 Mar. 2025
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The re-re-inspection put the glow back on the Thai Moon.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Due to Star Wars Outlaws’ reception, particularly about its glitches, developer Ubisoft took the extra time to polish Assassin’s Creed Shadows.—
George Yang,
Rolling Stone,
18 Mar. 2025
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The 80-room property was purchased in 2009 by the R Collection, a group of 12 luxurious hotels owned by the Rocchi family, and has since been polished to five-star standards.—
Gina DeCaprio Vercesi,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Washing a car properly is yet another topic worthy of a deep dive article, but the short answer is: most of the tiny scratches that dull a car’s shine over time happen when the car is being washed.—
Karl Brauer,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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It’s designed to glide gently through delicate strands, smoothing, taming flyaways, and boosting shine without causing breakage.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Lucy asked, pressing her free thumb between her sister’s brows to smooth the skin there.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
19 Mar. 2025
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The calming mix of colloidal oatmeal, beta-glucan (a skin repairing molecule that smooths rough skin), and glycerin is extremely gentle and more than suitable for sensitive skin, too.—
Mary Honkus,
Glamour,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Firefly released an image Friday showing a glint of sunlight reaching around the curvature of the Earth, some 250,000 miles (402,000 kilometers) away.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
18 Mar. 2025
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And beyond the significance of jewelry, the museum takes time to highlight the artistry—the way a diaphanous lace collar sits atop a velvet dress, or a glint of light that a pearl earring catches.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Jacob-Jenkins has penned Naz as an asexual introvert, the kind of young man who finds solace in nature and lakes and everything that takes him far away from either his father’s infidelity or the glare of political attention.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2025
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Overhangs and sun-shading louvers outside of the kitchen and family room control glare without blocking the views to Lake Michigan below.—
Dan Howarth,
Architectural Digest,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Burnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burnish. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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