brushing (off)

verb

present participle of brush (off)
as in winking (at)

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brushing (off)
  1. shrugging off
  2. dismissing
  3. rejecting
Verb
  • But on Tuesday, senators failed to advance the firms’ top legislative priority, shrugging off the threat of tens of millions of dollars that still could hit them this fall.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Part of it is that more women are speaking up about hair loss, shrugging off the stigma and reaching out for help.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of shrugging off
Verb
  • Yet, our president is dismissing all of the concerns as a hoax.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Owner Jim Crane already enacted one by dismissing general manager Dana Brown in August.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismissing
Verb
  • Kim Yo Jong issued a statement Friday rejecting Seoul’s demand for an apology.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
  • David Peck, Pourharton’s attorney, told the Town Plan and Zoning Commission that his client’s business has created no reason for rejecting the request, noting that GG hasn’t been the scene of arrests or police activity.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejecting
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

brushing (aside or off)
brushing (off)
brush (off)
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Cite this Entry

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

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