have a brush with

Idioms  

1. Have an encounter or come in conflict with, as in This was not the first time that Bob had a brush with the law. This expression alludes to the noun brush in the sense of “a hostile collision,” a usage dating from about 1400.

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Example Sentences

For many users who have a brush with the law, court-mandated treatment and the threat of worse outcomes in the future are enough to set them on the right track.

From Washington Post • Apr. 10, 2023

It can be awe-inspiring for a young player to have a brush with a famous college coach, such as when Edge met Penn State Coach James Franklin at a camp.

From Washington Post • Nov. 21, 2019

"When you have a brush with death, you can approach it two ways," notes a Disney executive.

From Time Magazine Archive

“If those are either French or Spaniards, the Champion will have a brush with them, sir; big as they are, she’ll beat them off too,” exclaimed Gerald.

From The Missing Ship The Log of the "Ouzel" Galley by Kingston, William Henry Giles

I hope to have a brush with her at daybreak.”

From Hair Breadth Escapes Perilous incidents in the lives of sailors and travelers in Japan, Cuba, East Indies, etc., etc. by Arthur, T. S. (Timothy Shay)