as in intelligence
the ability to learn and understand or to deal with problems
you have the brains to figure out that problem on your own
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Recent Examples of brains
Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 11 Jan. 2026
The skin, guts, and brains are the same but made of different things.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
The brains of the operation shapes up as a Dimensity 7050 5G processor supported by 12 GB of system RAM (plus a further 24 GB of virtual memory if needed) and 256 GB of storage with microSD expansion to 2 TB.
—New Atlas, 9 Jan. 2026
Malana Murphy is the brains and feet behind RIFF.
—Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
In the study, the rats learned faster when the estrogen levels in their brains were higher, which correlated with stronger dopamine signals.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 7 Jan. 2026
In the study, Yale School of Medicine, or YSM, researchers discovered elevated GLO1 levels in the brains of animals with excessive levels of cellular calcium, finding that the brain increased GLO1 expression as a protective mechanism to mitigate the effects of the calcium dysregulation.
—Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
Set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, the Larian Studios RPG follows a party that seeks to cure themselves of a parasitic tadpole infecting their brains.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 5 Jan. 2026
Our brains just don’t know how to process that much information.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
Their brains are dramatically different in size, structure, and function.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for brains
Noun
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Many of these soldiers are still involved in supporting Ukraine, including by providing intelligence, logistics, and training assistance worth at least tens of billions per year.—
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The hackers accessed emails for staffers on the China, foreign affairs, intelligence, and armed services committees, according to a new Financial Times report.—
Noun
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The persecution of Trotsky and the Moscow Trials, which caused a rift in the American left, revealed the weakness of Cowley’s party-line political thinking, just as all his other work demonstrated the scope of his literary intellect.—
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Mister Terrific emerges as one of Superman’s smartest anchors, threading intellect through a story preoccupied with power, trust, and what the world expects its heroes to be.—
Noun
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So there's really no choice but for the four major conference commissioners to compile a set of rules and guidelines that make at least a marginal bit of sense.—
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Create a sense of order by clearing those surfaces of holiday-specific decor.—
Noun
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During pregnancy, common reasons for seeking care include early labor, bleeding, changes in fetal movement, or high blood pressure.—
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One reason the design concept endures is the sink's functionality within the kitchen's larger scheme.—
Verb
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Shane Stant clubs Kerrigan on the knee and flees the scene.—
Noun
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To understand what’s next, follow the flow of money and brainpower.—
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But the Lambert High School team had advantages, beyond audacity and brainpower.—
Verb
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An overreliance on tools weakens our civilization (and saps the film’s dramatic thrills).—
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Cast and crew are emotionally invested in the urgency of the material, but the bland competency of the whole affair saps it of power.—
Cite this Entry
“Brains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brains. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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