the brush-off
noun phrase
informal
: rude treatment or behavior by someone who is not interested at all in what another person wants or asks for
I wanted to ask him about his decision but he gave me the brush-off.
I got the brush-off when I asked her for help.
Examples of the brush-off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Best Lip Balm Give parched lips the brush-off with this invigorating lip protectant.
—
Pamela Brill, Parents, 22 May 2025
Lynch sometimes ventures outside the RV to try and recruit smokers lingering around the clinic’s locations in Pennsylvania, but usually receives the brush-off.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2024
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Pamela Brill, Parents, 22 May 2025
Lynch sometimes ventures outside the RV to try and recruit smokers lingering around the clinic’s locations in Pennsylvania, but usually receives the brush-off.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“The brush-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20brush-off. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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