brandish

verb

Definition of brandishnext
as in to wave
to put into view in a threatening or excited manner She brandished a stick at the dog. brandished a petition signed by hundreds of town residents

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word brandish distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of brandish are flourish, swing, thrash, and wave. While all these words mean "to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down," brandish implies threatening or menacing motion.

brandishing a knife

When could flourish be used to replace brandish?

The synonyms flourish and brandish are sometimes interchangeable, but flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement.

flourished the winning lottery ticket

When might swing be a better fit than brandish?

The meanings of swing and brandish largely overlap; however, swing implies regular or uniform movement.

swing the rope back and forth

Where would thrash be a reasonable alternative to brandish?

The words thrash and brandish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement.

an infant thrashing his arms about

When can wave be used instead of brandish?

While in some cases nearly identical to brandish, wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion.

waving the flag

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 brandish Curtis Green, 35, of Irvine was charged with brandishing a firearm at the party held in the VIP area of the Dahlia Lounge in San Francisco’s Mission District. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Three more yellow cards were brandished to take the tally in the friendly to six. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Emma Mackey’s White Witch opens her eyes, flies in metallic couture, brandishes a sword, and rides wildly through London on a horse while the ’70s rock blares in the background. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026 Pupils clustered outside the doors of several schools in Paris and other cities in the morning hours, brandishing placards and megaphones and chanting slogans, and marches were planned later in the day. — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brandish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandish
  1. wave
  2. announce
  3. produce
Verb
  • Before joining the postgame handshake line, Bidunga turned toward the KU student section in the south end zone, waved and blew a kiss goodbye to the same fans who had booed him during warmups, introductions and throughout the game.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
  • One notice was handed to Nasir Malik, a community activist in a New Delhi quarter called Mustafabad, who waved it around on a recent day.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of wave
Verb
  • The Army has also not announced an operational deployment date.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Buck and Aikman have been the gold standard for announcing teams during their 25 years together, and breaking them up seems self-destructive.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of announce
Verb
  • Co-produced by John Congleton, the record swaps synth-pop for gutter-punk, with distorted guitars and clattering surf riffs as its weapons of choice.
    — Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • However, this movie carries a hefty $100 million price tag (stop-motion animation is labor-intensive and takes years to produce) and likely won’t turn a theatrical profit.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of produce

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Cite this Entry

“Brandish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandish. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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