brush (aside or off)

verb

Definition of brush (aside or off)next
as in to ignore
to dismiss as of little importance brushed off their complaints as the whining of people who were never satisfied

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brush (aside or off)
  1. ignore
  2. forgive
  3. overlook
  4. explain
  5. paper over
  6. justify
  7. pardon
Verb
  • Corbett said such arguments ignore Illinois’ long history of underfunding public schools, with the state providing only about a quarter of school districts’ revenue, according to the State Board of Education’s most recent Illinois Report Card.
    — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The shame lies with the governments who ignored the AIDS crisis and the stigma that was around people and the innate prejudice that was in society.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignore
Verb
  • Telluride’s ski area stretches across more than 2,000 acres, from wide, forgiving groomers to steep chutes and bowls, with the terrain climbing to 12,570 feet.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • SpaceX’s reported $40 billion debt raise to buy Nvidia chips shows it is stuck between mature tech giants like Google and Meta and startups like OpenAI and Anthropic, whose private status tends to forgive their inability to pay their own bills.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of forgive
Verb
  • Kelly said that too often medical records note only a concussion, which is in fact a mild traumatic brain injury, but can be overlooked.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • There’s an excellent Anantara Spa and a state-of-the-art fitness center onsite, but the highlight of the property is its 60-foot-long oceanfront infinity pool, which overlooks the entire expanse of Stone Town beach.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of overlook
Verb
  • Diesel fuel that is intended for off-road uses such as agriculture is exempt from federal and state excise taxes, and it is dyed for law enforcement purposes, the White House explained in a fact sheet.
    — NICHOLAS INGRAM, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Imagination and influence are tied together, Sherald explained.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of explain
Verb
  • Several turnovers forced by the Ducks' defense papered over what was a dominant performance by the Cowboys.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But this surface difference papers over something more fundamentally shared.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of paper over
Verb
  • At Wednesday’s hearing, Paul described Niembro as the most culpable of the four defendants and Ramirez as second, while acknowledging that Ramirez’s cooperation justified a significantly shorter sentence.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Rising prices could also lead shoppers to reconsider which rewards still feel small enough to justify.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of justify
Verb
  • His pledge to pardon Jair if elected has turned the former president's legal fate into a campaign issue — and raised broader questions about the consequences of a Bolsonaro return to power for Brazil's democratic institutions.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The photos show the president at rallies, pardoning turkeys, at the White House with Christmas decorations, standing with the FIFA trophy, surrounded by flags, flanked by military leaders, outside the Taj Mahal and more.
    — Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of pardon
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.

Browse Nearby Words

brush
brush (aside or off)
brushed
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Cite this Entry

“Brush (aside or off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brush%20%28aside%20or%20off%29. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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