as in to wave
to put into view in a threatening or excited manner
She brandished a stick at the dog. brandished a petition signed by hundreds of town residents
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Recent Examples of brandish
Gunmen patrolled the sidewalks dressed head to toe in brown camouflage; store windows were boarded up; some of the men perched from the rooftops in tactical gear, brandishing rifles.
—
Ulysses Ortega, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Flores pleaded guilty last year to charges of assault on a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2025
Musk's ruthless approach to leading the Department of Government Efficiency — epitomized by a speech in which the Tesla CEO brandished a chainsaw — has drawn lawsuits, pushback from federal workers and criticism from Tesla investors.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
Small bands of protesters gather, brandishing Black Lives Matter signs.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for brandish
Ulysses Ortega, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Flores pleaded guilty last year to charges of assault on a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2025
Musk's ruthless approach to leading the Department of Government Efficiency — epitomized by a speech in which the Tesla CEO brandished a chainsaw — has drawn lawsuits, pushback from federal workers and criticism from Tesla investors.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
Small bands of protesters gather, brandishing Black Lives Matter signs.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for brandish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandish
Verb
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Many of the supporters, who included a 12-year-old girl dressed as the president, donned pro-Trump t-shirts and other attire, waving American flags to catch the attention of passersby, some of whom slammed on their horns in solidarity.—
Shanzeh Ahmad,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2025
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In February, during an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Musk displayed his penchant for slashing government spending by waving around a chainsaw on stage.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
29 May 2025
Verb
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His final match as a professional footballer — Morton announced his sacking on September 19 — ended in a 1-0 defeat.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
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The new parents announced their son’s arrival a few days after his birth, sharing a joint Instagram post with a photo of the newborn sleeping next to a wooden sign.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Elsewhere, however, his forays have produced mixed results, including in his native India.—
Anu Raghunathan,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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Wake Forest has consistently produced major league talent, including five first-round MLB Draft in 2023 and 2024.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brandish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandish. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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