BRUSH-OFF Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

brush (off) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of brush (off)

as in to shrug off

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brush-off

2 of 2

noun

ˈbrəsh-ˌȯf

as in dismissal

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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)

Noun

That brush-off on top of Chris somehow edging her out of the Olympic team so that Tunde wound up as an alternate was too much not to go nuclear. — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025 The comment has done little to settle the debate, with fans remaining divided on whether to take her denial seriously or read it as a playful brush-off. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026 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 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 his subtle brush-off of Collins is a sign of the cocky and brash kid already beginning to emerge — the same one who could cut down people down to size on his way to redefining himself and jolting both the New York folk scene and the world of pop at large. — David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brush (off)

Verb

Teskey also shrugged off concerns about an AI data center bubble.

— Hugh Leask, CNBC, 2 July 2026
And that allowed another hero to shrug off the pain of his own wounds and step up big.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of shrug off

Verb

Critics see it as another attempt to breathe life into claims that courts, investigators and election officials have repeatedly rejected — and another corrosive attempt to undermine faith in the state’s vote.

— Adam Beam, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
Questioning, if not rejecting, established Christian doctrine, Ahab also comes to regard Moby Dick as the outward and visible sign, the physical embodiment of the indifference or, worse, utter malignity inherent in the universe.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026

Definition of reject

Noun

Despite the Reina Sofía’s many refusals to lend the work to various institutions around the world, its rebuff of the Guggenheim’s request carries a particular sting because the Basque Country has long held that the painting belongs in the place where the depicted tragedy occurred.

— News Desk, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026
The latest rebuff of state overreach was the dismissal last week of the highly questionable felony case against respected Waukegan City Clerk Janet Kilkelly brought by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.

— Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026

Definition of rebuff

Verb

In April, the Superior Court dismissed the three citations Hubbard received in May 2025 when no park ranger or city attorney appeared for the prosecution, his lawsuit states.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Freeney did not dismiss the business side of the arrangement.

— Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of dismiss

Noun

Using basic academic terminology would place grants at risk of rejection or termination on political grounds.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
That persisted into 2026 amid disagreements over the Russian war on Ukraine, including Meloni’s rejection of a proposal by Britain and France to send European troops there following a possible ceasefire.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026

Definition of rejection

Verb

That lineage become a source of attention and scorn for the 33-year-old first time candidate, who created what critics called out as a sometimes outlandish social media personality to generate attention.

— Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 24 June 2026
Gerardo Ortiz What’s a música mexicana festival without a bit of yearning and scorned romance?

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026

Definition of scorn

Noun

Minions & Monsters nods to the Academy snubs with a recurring gag imagining a Minion director receiving a Golden Banana trophy.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2026
He’s never played for Team Canada in a best-on-best, including a snub this year despite career-best production.

— Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 19 June 2026

Definition of snub

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brushing (off)

brush (off)

brush-off

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“Brush (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brush%20%28off%29. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of brush (off)

verb

noun

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