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
The San Jose Police Department said officers responded to a report of a disturbance involving a weapon and determined that a person had brandished a box cutter at several people in the parking area.
—
Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Grimes brandished a gun, and Northington and Hyman robbed the store, taking money from the cash register.
—Lily Carey, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2026
An arrest warrant is out for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer accused of brandishing a gun at two people on a highway during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, prosecutors said Thursday.
—Sophie Brams, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2026
So, per the rulebook, referee Slavko Vinčić brandished his yellow card to Camavinga.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brandish
Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Grimes brandished a gun, and Northington and Hyman robbed the store, taking money from the cash register.
—Lily Carey, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2026
An arrest warrant is out for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer accused of brandishing a gun at two people on a highway during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, prosecutors said Thursday.
—Sophie Brams, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2026
So, per the rulebook, referee Slavko Vinčić brandished his yellow card to Camavinga.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brandish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brandish
Verb
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Kevin Durant waving bye to Deandre Ayton after he was ejected from the game.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Wayne remembers trying to care for his father in his last years, only to be waved off during hours-long phone conversations with Sonny Rollins.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps the most compelling moment of the 2026 NFL Draft came in the final round, when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected running back Eli Heidenreich and the pick was announced to the hometown crowd gathered at the event.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
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When the Dodgers public address announcer read the Cubs starting lineup, Dodgers fans vehemently booed Crow-Armstrong, a trend that continued before each at-bat and again Saturday when he was announced pregame.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On the bright side, the Eta Aquarid's are known to produce the occasional fireball, which could easily pierce the veil of moonlight cast by the lunar disk.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
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Westin also produced an RBI single, while Augustana recruit JT Iles came through with a two-run double for the Thunderbolts (9-11), who with the win retained the Zabrocki Cup — the traveling trophy for the rivalry.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brandish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brandish. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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