as in bristly
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in bursting
to be copiously supplied
a recent college grad thrilled to be starting a new life in a city bristling with possibilities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in storming
to express one's anger usually violently
the man bristled at the accusation, and threatened to file a lawsuit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bristling
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
13 Aug. 2025
Mason gives him a somewhat civilized welcome but has too much bristling nervous energy to be trusted.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Jason P. Woodbury,
Pitchfork,
22 June 2026
Young Washington, a new biopic, gives us pre-Revolutionary George, early-20s George, pale, petulant, virginal, ramrod-straight, and bristling with awkwardness and ambition.
—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Hollis buries herself in work in an attempt to escape her complicated grief, while aspiring filmmaker Caroline copes by making snarky remarks and bristling at her mom's efforts to connect.
—
Clarissa Cruz,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
In the New Mexico desert, a pair of stations bristling with antennas captured radio waves coming out of a dozen separate lightning strikes.
—
Quanta Magazine,
6 May 2026
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the sentiment after bristling at a question from a CNN journalist during a Pentagon briefing last month on the Iran war.
—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Agnes, the tender, bristling English associate about which this film spins, does have the wardrobe and wit of my favorite adjuncts.
—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
Writers who spoke with Deadline on Friday waved off most talk of the ceremony, bristling at any insinuation that the blame for the strike fallout should lay at the feet of the staff.
—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
The seas of the Middle East are bristling with American warships and airpower trained on Iran.
—
February 26,
NPR,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
That gives it a bristling relevance.
—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
13 Aug. 2025
Mason gives him a somewhat civilized welcome but has too much bristling nervous energy to be trusted.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
The result is an album that retains the bristling energy of the band’s debut but yet feels refreshingly loose.
—
Jason P. Woodbury,
Pitchfork,
22 June 2026
Young Washington, a new biopic, gives us pre-Revolutionary George, early-20s George, pale, petulant, virginal, ramrod-straight, and bristling with awkwardness and ambition.
—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Hollis buries herself in work in an attempt to escape her complicated grief, while aspiring filmmaker Caroline copes by making snarky remarks and bristling at her mom's efforts to connect.
—
Clarissa Cruz,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
In the New Mexico desert, a pair of stations bristling with antennas captured radio waves coming out of a dozen separate lightning strikes.
—
Quanta Magazine,
6 May 2026
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the sentiment after bristling at a question from a CNN journalist during a Pentagon briefing last month on the Iran war.
—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Agnes, the tender, bristling English associate about which this film spins, does have the wardrobe and wit of my favorite adjuncts.
—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
Writers who spoke with Deadline on Friday waved off most talk of the ceremony, bristling at any insinuation that the blame for the strike fallout should lay at the feet of the staff.
—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
The seas of the Middle East are bristling with American warships and airpower trained on Iran.
—
February 26,
NPR,
26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bristling
Adjective
-
During the summer ski jumping season when competitors slide down ceramic or porcelain tracks and land on bristly plastic mats, the team tried to adjust to the new ski suit dimensions.
-
Their typically bristly fur is peppered with shades of brown and gray, with a white underbelly.
Verb
-
Join hundreds of boats and hundreds more tourists on the riverwalk to catch the bombs bursting in air.
-
The Kings’ defense corps was once its bedrock, bursting with depth, quality and the ability to convert a home-plate mentality into counterattacking opportunities.
Verb
-
They were easily beaten by Brazil in the final match of the group stage, and their head coach Steve Clarke came in for criticism after storming out of his post-match interview before stepping down from his role when their exit was confirmed on Saturday.
-
Listen to Hoffman discuss storming out of the Emmys in the Bald and the Beautiful episode above.
Adjective
-
But after 90-plus minutes against Cape Verde on Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium, the smiles turned to seething expressions and consternation.
-
As much excitement as the arrival of Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd has created for this WNBA franchise, there is just as much seething frustration within the organization at the city of Dallas over an agreement that was announced with great fanfare, only for nothing to happen.
Verb
-
Vic makes some baffling choices here, buzzing in twice on the first word in the series without hearing the rest, and getting eliminated from multiple rounds five seconds in.
-
Between record-setting parades, military flyovers, and fireworks on the National Mall, the district will be buzzing on Independence Day.
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the jet stream — following the arc around the heat dome — is carrying wildfire smoke up north to Minnesota and the Upper Midwest from raging wildfires in Utah, Arizona and Colorado.
-
That's the word from fire officials across the nation during the heart of fireworks season, and especially out west, where wildfires are raging.
Adjective
-
More humane methods of killing lobsters pre-boiling include a sharp knife through the head, electrical stunning, or freezing.
-
Agrawal and her team studied ionic liquids — salts that are liquid at sub-boiling temperatures (below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius) — as a potential hospitable environment for life.
Verb
-
Schoenaerts menacingly grins his way through the movie, with appealingly bulging eyes.
-
This helps maintain a cleaner silhouette without bulging pockets that can restrict movement or become uncomfortable during long periods of sitting.
Cite this Entry
“Bristling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bristling. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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