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.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

have a brush with

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

We may have a brush with them," Reuben said lightly; "but do not be anxious about us.

From A Final Reckoning A Tale of Bush Life in Australia by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

He was full of fight and valour, and burning with eagerness, as he said, to have a brush with the enemy.

From The Three Lieutenants by Archibald Webb