brush away

Dismiss with hand

To brush away is to remove something with a light sweeping motion, as with the hand or a brush: She brushed away a tear, He brushed the crumbs away from his shirt.

Figuratively, to brush away concerns or objections is to dismiss them as unimportant: The CEO brushed away questions about the merger.

clean

dustpan

Handheld floor-debris collector

broomBristled cleaning stick
sweepBrush clean with broom
wipeRub to clean

flick · dust · crumbs · debris · lint · cobwebs · duster · whisk · tidy · clear

dismiss

shrug off

Dismiss as unimportant

wave offDismiss with gesture
discountReduced price offered
disregardWillful lack of attention

minimize · downplay · deflect · sidestep · trivialize · overlook · ignore · belittle · gloss over · push aside

emotional

tears

Violent pulls apart

sadnessState of emotional pain
griefIntense sorrow from loss
sorrowDeep emotional distress

memories · thoughts · feelings · emotions · melancholy · regret · nostalgia · pain · heartache · push back

Categories

swatting motionsfly swat, swipe

Opposites

physical removal vs. physical gathering

brush awaygather

Bring or come together

collect · accumulate · pile up · hold onto · keep

dismissal vs. acceptance (figurative)

brush awayembrace

Hold closely in arms

accept · acknowledge · take seriously · consider · validate

gentle removal vs. forceful removal

brush awayscrub

Clean by rubbing hard

scrape · scour · abrade · gouge out

Family

away, brush, brushing, brushed, brushes, toothbrush, paintbrush, hairbrush, brushwood

Familiarity: Top 50,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G