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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
Sarah Kohrs and Neil Thorne, TIME, 21 May 2024
Fans brandished dozens of flags emblazoned with his name.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for brandish 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brandish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near brandish
Cite this Entry
“Brandish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brandish. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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