as in gleam
brightness created by light reflected from a surface
after some much-needed polishing, the silver tea set had a brilliant burnish
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to rub
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
burnished the floor of the ballroom to a soft luster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burnish
Sarah Jampel, Bon Appétit, 17 Dec. 2019
As each streetlamp passed, the burnish of its reflected light rolled up alongside them on the asphalt, like a dolphin curious about a new boat in her waters, and then veered away.
—Caleb Crain, Harper's magazine, 22 July 2019
ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
Shapiro brushed off questions — and Republican criticism — about burnishing his credentials for a White House run.
—CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burnish
Noun
The cream turns into a rich sauce and the cheese gets bubbly-brown; the greens towards the top burnish (kale chips!) but those underneath stay silky-soft.
—Sarah Jampel, Bon Appétit, 17 Dec. 2019
As each streetlamp passed, the burnish of its reflected light rolled up alongside them on the asphalt, like a dolphin curious about a new boat in her waters, and then veered away.
—Caleb Crain, Harper's magazine, 22 July 2019
Verb
While Town Star’s pay-to-earn model couldn’t work in the long term, the late 2021 moment when early players were making serious crypto profits helped burnish Gala Games’ image among web3 gaming advocates.
—ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
Shapiro brushed off questions — and Republican criticism — about burnishing his credentials for a White House run.
—CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burnish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burnish
Noun
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Plus, avocado oil provides heat protection up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, while a blend of sunflower oil, hemisqualane, and squalane hydrate the hair for a healthy gleam.—
Deanna Pai,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Around the corner is Alexander Calder’s 1964 fountain Three Quintains (Hello Girls), which has been lovingly restored and gleams in the early morning light.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Until sound effects, tones, and grating atmospheres rub right up against the dialogue.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
-
An employee washed hands for less than 10 seconds at the sushi bar, and the inspector wants to see 10-15 seconds of your hands rubbing each other.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The steady light of Saturn will shine below the Great Square of Pegasus with Mars lower still on the eastern horizon, close to the glow of the Pleiades open cluster.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
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With recent collaborations with tech titans like NVIDIA and hardware experts like Kinova, AtkinsRéalis is building an ecosystem where the next generation of energy is managed by machines that never tire and fear nothing, even the invisible glow of a reactor core.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That means steep hills, slick cobblestones, long outdoor lunches, golden-hour strolls, late-night cocktails, and somehow still looking polished through all of it.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2026
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Why had someone polished smooth one of the crania and decorated another with a pattern of scratch marks?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Interior defensive line shines, edge rushers still growing One of the major surprises of the spring was Will Smith Jr.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Clement Greenberg saw the work, which in the early days leaned toward Abstract Expressionism, and took a shine to the young painter.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The complementary conditioner dials up the moisture with shea butter, murumuru butter, and amino acids to smooth and strengthen—leaving hair soft, bouncy, and ready for styling.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
28 Apr. 2026
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Its benefits span from firming and lift to smoothing texture and tone.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In his work exist iconic signs of beloved local establishments — like the Playpen — the blinding glint reflecting off downtown’s skyline, telephone poles regarded as totems.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The bright glint to the left is Venus.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This provided a comfort blanket and a lead that Chelsea and Liverpool, unable to shift the glare of scrutiny away from themselves, couldn’t replicate.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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But noise, as well as glare, are typically buffered with vegetative landscaping and setbacks, or the distance between the property line and the nearest structure.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burnish. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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