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Often when we encounter the word brandish in print, it is followed by a word for a weapon, such as knife or handgun. That’s appropriate given the word’s etymology: it is a descendant of the Middle English braundisshen, which comes from the Anglo-French brant or braund, a word of Germanic origin meaning “sword.” Nowadays you can brandish things other than weapons, however. The figurative usage of brandish rose alongside its earliest literal usage in the 14th century. When you brandish something that isn’t a weapon (such as a sign or a letter), you are in effect waving it in someone’s face so that it cannot be overlooked.
Examples of brandish in a Sentence
Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 4 Nov. 2024
At the same roundtable, Jewish Columbia student Eden Yadegar said she was followed around her campus by protesters brandishing sticks last school year.
—Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2024
Brian Grubb, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2024
But the United States would be smarter to withhold carrots than to brandish sticks.
—Shadi Hamid, Foreign Affairs, 28 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for brandish 
Dictionary Entries Near brandish
Cite this Entry
“Brandish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brandish. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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