bray 1 of 2

verb

Definition of braynext
as in to grind
to reduce to fine particles bray the seeds using a mortar and pestle

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bray

2 of 2

noun

as in bleat

Related Words

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 bray
Verb
The need to placate a braying mob of X posters desperate to see Lemon in chains does not constitute an emergency. — Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026 Shortly after the New Year's ball drops (only once) in New York City, the Zohran Mamdani era will begin in the Big Apple and the political horses will be braying at the gates to start the 2026 midterm election season in earnest. — James Powel, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
Noun
Timbaland’s eerie, minimalist production — stuttering beat patterns, yawning silences between drum hits, synth riffs that bray and heave — was the ideal vehicle for Elliott’s slaloming, heavily syncopated raps. — New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026 My father mistakes it for the verb to bray, like a donkey. — Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bray
  1. grind
  2. bleat
  3. pound
  4. screech
  5. crush
  6. moo
  7. beat
  8. squawk
Verb
  • Hitler wanted more dead, but his early lightning victories—Poland beaten in weeks, France in forty days—had turned into a grinding nightmare for the Nazis.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The Raunchiest Miley Cyrus shocked viewers by stripping down to a nude bikini top and briefs and grinding, twerking and thrusting on fellow performer Robin Thicke at the 2013 show in one of the raciest performances in MTV history.
    — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of grind
Noun
  • Receiver pressed to one cheek, Molly listens to the bleat at the line’s other end, in the Peace Action apartment.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026
  • On the southern end of the loop, check out the interactive Bison Center to feel hides, hear the creatures’ varied grunts and bleats, and learn about the park’s efforts to sustainably maintain the herd.
    — Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of bleat
Verb
  • Guadagnino has always been skilled in his choice of music (Sufjan Stevens’ alt-pop in Call Me by Your Name, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ pounding EDM in Challengers).
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Still The Hairy Ape is, in one sense, a long, furious solo — a man pounding his head against a piano while accompanied by the orchestra — and Beavers ably carries its weight through to the finale.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of pound
Noun
  • Rihanna’s here, maniacal crowds are lining up outside shows to screech and wave at their favorite stars and days of runway events big and small lie ahead.
    — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The screech of guitar feedback echoed from a makeshift stage outside, where a punk-rock band had just launched into their set, a fitting accompaniment to the bar’s kaleidoscopic selection of beer.
    — Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of screech
Verb
  • This sees the star's core, with a mass between one and two times that of the sun, crush down to a width of around 12 miles (20 kilometers).
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Agrumato is a proprietary method of crushing whole ingredients with the olives to impart robust flavors.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of crush
Noun
  • At the historic Rose Bridge Farm in Dresher, Pennsylvania, there's no alarm clock quite like a cow's morning moo.
    — Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Just say no to more moo juice One important person in the country's government is trying to modify this cultural habit.
    — Fatma Tanis, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of moo
Verb
  • Built along a verdant slope edging Bodrum’s Paradise Bay, this contemporary property offers hard-to-beat vistas.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Hastert became a congressional candidate in 1986 and beat the Democrat with 52% of the vote, his smallest margin of victory in a congressional race.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of beat
Noun
  • In a separate incident involving a squawk 7700 in July, a Southwest Airlines flight departing Kahului, Hawaii, sent out a squawk 7700 after a passenger experienced a medical issue on board, the airline confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • For aviation geeks or those who simply want to keep track of their plane’s unique flying data and route, squawk codes can be tracked on apps and websites like Flightradar24 and Flight Beacon.
    — Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2026
Definition of squawk

Browse Nearby Words

brawny
bray
brayed
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Cite this Entry

“Bray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bray. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bray

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