Collocations for "brush"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "brush" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
brush
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.v
- brush your [hair, teeth]
- brush and [floss, comb, shine, polish]
- brushing [properly, regularly, twice a day, too vigorously]
- brush the [cat, dog's coat, horse's mane]
- brush back and forth
- brush off your [knees, hands]
- brush [dirt, crumbs] off your [jacket, shirt, lap]
- brush off the [dirt, dust]
- brush the [dirt] off
- brush yourself off
- brush [it, the loss, yourself] off (and keep going)
- brushed off the [incident, allegations]
- brush up on [math, the violin, my Spanish]
- brushed it to [clean, remove, apply]
- brush on [paint, varnish]
- brush [paint] on (with a)
- brush it with [oil, garlic, butter]
- brushed up against [her, his arm, the table]
- brushed my [hand, elbow, knee] against her
- the plane brushed the [hilltops, trees, surface]
- they brushed aside our [questions, ideas, objections]
- brushed my [questions, doubts] aside
- our [questions] were brushed aside
- a [hair, toilet, paint, clothes] brush
- a [horsehair, brass, stiff, soft] brush
- give your [hair, teeth] a (good, quick) brush
- [clean, dust off] your suit with a clothes brush
- use a brush to remove [dog, cat, pet] hair
- a brush to [remove, get rid of, get out] the [knots, tangles]
- paint with a brush or [roller, knife]
- paint with a [broad, fan, rigger, round] brush
- the brush got stuck in [my hair, a knot]
- the [bristles, hairs] of a brush
- had a (close) brush with [death, disaster, failure]
- a brush with fame
- a brush with the [law, police]
- at the brush of her [lips, cheek, touch]
- was [hiding, waiting, lurking] in the brush
- saw the brush move
- thought I heard something in the brush
- [large, small] brush size
- [short, long, delicate] brush strokes
- a brush fire
'brush' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):