as in gall
shameless boldness
for sheer brashness it would be hard to beat the customer who wanted a refund on merchandise bought elsewhere
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Recent Examples of brashness
The México 86 producers set out to capture the music, fashions and general brashness of the era.
—
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Carolina did make one addition, trading for fighter Nic Deslauriers, but the brashness the Hurricanes’ front office has shown in recent years didn’t lead to the type of headline-making move seen in recent seasons.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
In recent years, Ye’s irreverence and brashness shifted into something darker and far more dangerous.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
Given his father’s reputation for brashness, many people told me they were surprised by how nice David is.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Intrigued by the letter’s brashness, Steve Rifkin, whose Loud Records handled clients including Wu-Tang Clan and Akon, hired the teenager.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, the austerity and elegance of the downstairs dining room acts as a dampener, hushing the salad’s brashness and sapping much of the fun.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
Macelaru and pianist Grimaud seem to glory in the brashness of them.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Oct. 2025
Vulgarity, in this case, isn’t a matter of language, but of brashness, tastelessness and lack of delicacy.
—Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 May 2021
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Carolina did make one addition, trading for fighter Nic Deslauriers, but the brashness the Hurricanes’ front office has shown in recent years didn’t lead to the type of headline-making move seen in recent seasons.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
In recent years, Ye’s irreverence and brashness shifted into something darker and far more dangerous.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
Given his father’s reputation for brashness, many people told me they were surprised by how nice David is.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Intrigued by the letter’s brashness, Steve Rifkin, whose Loud Records handled clients including Wu-Tang Clan and Akon, hired the teenager.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, the austerity and elegance of the downstairs dining room acts as a dampener, hushing the salad’s brashness and sapping much of the fun.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
Macelaru and pianist Grimaud seem to glory in the brashness of them.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Oct. 2025
Vulgarity, in this case, isn’t a matter of language, but of brashness, tastelessness and lack of delicacy.
—Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brashness
Noun
-
Effective Laundering Products to Use on Pollen Instead of using mild detergent, pollen can be removed with gall soap.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Larvae emerge inside the galls and eat from the plant in winter.—
Teresa Woodard,
Midwest Living,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
My clients had the nerve to go on and succeed without him.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Sadly, politicians will not have the nerve to enact and enforce such legislation.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The doctor further explained that the traits of a narcissist encompass low empathy, arrogance, entitlement, grandiosity and pathological selfishness.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
They both, in a good way, reek of confidence – not arrogance but confidence.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While the erotica is obviously fascinating, the other stories and the audacity of the architecture itself is worth at least half a day on-site.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Yet beyond rarity and badge adjacency, value lies in the audacity of the idea and the precision of its execution.—
Eric Hendrikx,
Robb Report,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The speed with which some fan confidence in him has eroded was, nevertheless, unprecedented considering no Liverpool manager (or in Slot’s case, head coach) has delivered the league title at the end of their first season since Kenny Dalglish in 1985-86.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Money, confidence or themes surrounding you are under the microscope today, asking you to stop settling for less.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But Motta, with a brazenness that had become her signature, kept taking on new clients.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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The spectacle comported with the prevailing views of this ensemble’s antisemitism, but its sheer brazenness catapulted them to a new level of mainstream notoriety.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brashness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brashness. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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