bristled

verb

past tense of bristle
1
as in buzzed
to be copiously supplied a recent college grad thrilled to be starting a new life in a city bristling with possibilities

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stormed
to express one's anger usually violently the man bristled at the accusation, and threatened to file a lawsuit

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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 bristled The moment is a test for the UAE government, which has burnished a reputation for building effective measures against extremist activities but also has bristled in the past over criticism of security lapses. — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 Sonorous jaws bristled with the thick chin hairs of your least-favourite grandmother. — Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026 In this case, though, the defense bristled, forcing Indy to settle for a game-tying field goal that in turn enabled the Chiefs to prevail 33-30 on Harrison Butker’s 40-yard field goal on the last play of overtime. — Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026 Lawrence bristled at that charge, noting that he's been protesting data centers since last fall when a wave of new projects was proposed across the district and the state. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 Bueno bristled at the notion that city residents' confidence in the 911 system could be shaken by the call. — David Clarey, jsonline.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Multiple sources tell Rambling there were creative differences between Ellis and HBO — hardly a shock given that the author has bristled at adaptations of his work for 25 years, since American Psycho. — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 At a busy early voting site on Madison's north side, even some of Hong's supporters bristled at some of her controversial positions. — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 When some senators pressed him on the memos’ content, Roberts bristled. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristled
  1. buzzed
  2. stormed
  3. burst
  4. raged
  5. hummed
  6. fumed
  7. bulged
  8. brimmed
Verb
  • Cell phones buzzed as the public safety alert appeared on screen and asked people to call authorities with any information.
    — Jarrod Wardwell, Houston Chronicle, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In recent weeks, new residents have buzzed around 929 Walnut Street in downtown Kansas City.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of buzzed
Verb
  • The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, after passengers stormed the cockpit and wrenched back controlfrom the attacker, who Israeli officials suspect was trying to crash the plane.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Zverev served for the match in the second set but double-faulted to hand De Minaur a break and the Australian stormed back into it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of stormed
Verb
  • People are herby, people are lemony, people are mustardy, bursting at the taste buds with umami.
    — Raven Smith, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Walker burst free on a 76-yard run that turned the game around.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of burst
Verb
  • Tension in France French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu addressed the nation on Wednesday night, to try and calm the student protests that have raged for more than two weeks.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • As protests raged at more than 1,200 French high schools this week, police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets in some cases.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of raged
Verb
  • Duke also knew that in the country’s beautiful capital, Budapest, cafés hummed with arguments about poetry and politics, the press was relatively free, and Jewish businesses were still open.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Pastel Colonial buildings lined the streets, their facades glowing in the afternoon sun, while the plazas hummed with life.
    — Chantelle Kincy, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of hummed
Verb
  • In a phone call with The Times from jail, his first interview since his arrest, Marset fumed about the case.
    — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Mizzou fans fumed about beating KU but playing in the lesser bowl.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumed
Verb
  • By later in the day, the second lake had bulged — sparking fears of another lethal torrent.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • My husband Grant Wahl's bulged and burst, at an age when this disease usually means something inherited.
    — Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of bulged
Verb
  • Carcasses lay strewn along the shoreline as the beach brimmed with weekend activity.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But You Caint Use My Phone, which brimmed with affirmative heaters that wonderfully interrogated screen-staring.
    — Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of brimmed

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Cite this Entry

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

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