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
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to inform
to give information to
the lieutenant briefed his superior officers on the state of the enemy's fortifications
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brief
Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Consider what those two third graders learned in their brief hallway squabble.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025
Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 3 July 2025
There also are concerns this may have influenced or rigged either the selection of the consultants or the brief for those consultants to provide feedback on alternative courses of action the project or Naperville’s energy future.
—Fernando Arriola, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2025
Carrie Johnson, NPR, 8 July 2025
Washington — The Department of Homeland Security's intelligence arm plans to cut nearly three-quarters of its full-time employees, shaving its Office of Intelligence & Analysis down from about 1,000 staff to just 275, according to four sources briefed on the matter.
—July 3, CBS News, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for brief
Adjective
Director of football Jason Wilcox also joined, while Ruben Amorim made a brief appearance too.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Consider what those two third graders learned in their brief hallway squabble.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025
Noun
The brief is to oversee recruitment, retention, coaching, medical, logistics, education, pastoral and more.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 3 July 2025
There also are concerns this may have influenced or rigged either the selection of the consultants or the brief for those consultants to provide feedback on alternative courses of action the project or Naperville’s energy future.
—Fernando Arriola, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2025
Verb
Its court briefs cite a case during the Clinton administration when then-U.S. attorney and now Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., sued the court in Rhode Island over a rule about issuing subpoenas to attorneys.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 8 July 2025
Washington — The Department of Homeland Security's intelligence arm plans to cut nearly three-quarters of its full-time employees, shaving its Office of Intelligence & Analysis down from about 1,000 staff to just 275, according to four sources briefed on the matter.
—July 3, CBS News, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
The Journal Sentinel aims to provide both in-depth investigative journalism and quick, concise news updates.—
Greg Borowski,
jsonline.com,
11 July 2025
-
Solution: The first step is to establish a concise cyber risk governance committee charter, a high-trust document that outlines the committee's responsibilities, authority, composition and decision-making boundaries.—
Phillimon Zongo,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
For beginners, Bravo recommends starting with short sessions and using a handle for support while your body adapts.—
Jordan Galloway,
SELF,
15 July 2025
-
Families can also listen to short episodes of the Cow Tales Podcast and find more secret missions.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Don’t let the lack of flash fool you — this guy is the real deal.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
The Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2025
-
The German figures come a day before the scheduled release of flash inflation data for the euro area, which will be closely watched by investors for guidance on the odds of another interest rate cut from the European Central Bank.—
Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Miami Herald newsroom.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
-
That includes Call Notes (an automatic summary of your phone call), and support for the Pixel Screenshots app.—
Julian Chokkattu,
Wired News,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has targeted invasive Burmese pythons and iguanas for removal — a task Kimmel has taken on as a professional mission.—
Mark Price
Updated July 14,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
-
Families can also listen to short episodes of the Cow Tales Podcast and find more secret missions.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
For over 50 years, Travel + Leisure has informed and inspired millions of travelers, offering practical advice, essential travel news, and personal narratives from our network of on-the-ground writers around the world.—
Jamie Hergenrader,
Travel + Leisure,
15 July 2025
-
Post-Earnings Positioning: Conversely, traders can wait for the earnings announcement and then evaluate the relationship between immediate and medium-term returns to inform their subsequent trading actions.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
In mere seconds, AI can summarize long reports, write emails in our tone and even generate strategic recommendations.—
Brent Dykes,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
Apple Intelligence, which arrived in 2024 following the iPhone 16’s September launch, includes tools that can summarize notifications, transcribe phone calls, erase objects in photos, and use an iPhone’s camera to search Google or prompt ChatGPT and create images.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
From beloved Broadway shows like Phantom of the Opera and Les Mis to newer favorites like Hamilton, check out some of the best musical names for your little Broadway baby.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
15 July 2025
-
And who was on the plane, who’s in the little black book?—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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