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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flash
lasting only for a short time
a brief flash of light
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in summary
a short statement of the main points
a one-page brief of the intelligence report
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
-
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
-
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
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
-
Some of his friends are aware, and Mayer spoke with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to inform him of the campaign only the day prior, out of courtesy.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
-
In May, an American Airlines plane canceled its takeoff at Washington National after it was informed that an aircraft was landing on an intersecting runway.—
Beck Andrew Salgado,
Austin American Statesman,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
The motive can be summarized as pure agency, pure evil; in other words, premeditated murder.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
4 July 2025
-
This week's Think Texas column summarizes her work.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
This time, however, the mound visit had little effect.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 July 2025
-
But most of the middle part is missing, and there’s little to explain how the event unfolded from one stage to the next.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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