1
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
a brief but crucial admonition to keep quiet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in short
not lasting for a considerable time
fortunately, the meeting was brief
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flash
lasting only for a short time
a brief flash of light
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in summary
a short statement of the main points
a one-page brief of the intelligence report
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mission
a specific task with which a person or group is charged
the soldiers' brief was to secure the village from enemy attacks
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1
as in to inform
to give information to
the lieutenant briefed his superior officers on the state of the enemy's fortifications
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to summarize
to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report)
his duties include briefing intelligence reports for the president
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brief
Steve Futterman, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
At the end of Season 3, the former Oxford classmates — whose brief stints in banking inspired the show — effectively burned their initial setup to the ground.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
The brief argues that the commission failed to consider significant, concrete harms to local industry and communities.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 5 Jan. 2026
The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Instead, senior members of Congress were briefed selectively after decisions had already been made.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brief
Adjective
Wearing a brown jumpsuit, Reiner, 32, didn't enter a plea during the brief hearing.
—Noun
The trans athlete is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and more than 130 congressional Democrats have signed an amicus brief in support of the trans athlete for the Supreme Court review.
—Verb
Washington is prepared to pursue legal action to enforce the terms of the contract, according to a person briefed on the situation.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
The company is also upgrading a proofreading option for checking grammar and making messages more concise.—
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Just across the street, Miya is a quirky, two-room Thai charmer with a relatively concise menu of curries, noodles, soups, salads and vegetables.—
Adjective
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Ehrlich noted the short careers for college athletes and wondered whether a union for collective bargaining is even possible.—
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This short-sleeve pullover top is paired with a wide-leg pant to keep me cozy just about wherever my day takes me.—
Adjective
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Campaign ads, showing images of flash-mob robberies, promised voters that harsher penalties would put an end to basic items being locked away in display cases and funnel people repeatedly arrested for drug offenses in treatment.—
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And many supermarkets offer bags of flash-frozen cranberries year-round.—
Noun
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Structure information summary Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly resistant to earthquake shaking, though some vulnerable structures exist.—
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The Sill reports that appointments with their human plant specialists have increased 30% as people tire of advice from chatbot service agents, influencers, and AI summaries.—
Noun
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Over the past five months, Crew-11 completed most of its mission objectives, supporting space station operations and conducting scientific research.—
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Later this year, UEL plans to expand those tests by flying additional components, including motors and electronics, on another Nuri rocket mission through a university CubeSat collaboration.—
Verb
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On the whole, higher limits offer better protection, so recognizing the differences in coverage between minimum requirements and real-life needs can inform better decision-making in this regard.—
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Local fire and government authorities are notified prior to burn days and kept informed throughout prescribed fire operations.—
Verb
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The Heise, Pearce, Weber (HPW) Labor Market Tightness Index summarizes current wage pressures and forecasts near-term wage inflation based on the quits rate and job vacancies per job seeker.—
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However, the application must only include a 500-word description of the idea and an informal video that is no longer than three minutes summarizing the idea.—
Adjective
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Dick is sympathetic to Leroy’s perspective, noting that being Black in the military means having your personal life scrutinized, which is little comfort for Charlotte.—
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Sketches such as last night’s Oval Office monologue compact the coal of the administration’s info dumps into little diamonds of comedy, freeing the writers and cast to pursue more escapist fare.—
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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