brush
noun
an implement consisting of bristles, hair, or the like, set in or attached to a handle, used for painting, cleaning, polishing, grooming, etc.
were brushing
-
past progressiveof brush.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The gains suggest investors were brushing off worries that valuations in the tech sector have become stretched and warnings about the timing and size of returns on huge AI investments.
From Barron's ● Jan. 5, 2026
Production managers didn’t seem to value experience and were brushing off his questions, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2021
One of her first nights in school, Roberts and a small group of classmates were brushing their teeth before bed.
From New York Times ● Aug. 16, 2014
Earlier versions of this article incorrectly said in a caption that the children were brushing their teeth in an upstairs bathroom in the family’s home.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 10, 2011
He stopped in front of the fallen column of the Black Tortoise Gate and, as if he were brushing away a dead leaf, pushed it aside.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
