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brush by

B1 neutral inseparable intransitive

In simple words

To move past someone so close that you barely touch them.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

uncommon

To pass very close to someone or something, making brief or light contact.

"A cyclist brushed by her so closely that she felt the rush of air."

Grammar: inseparable

Usage notes

Almost synonymous with 'brush past'. Used to describe movement in crowds or tight spaces. The physical contact is incidental rather than deliberate. Common in descriptive narrative prose.

Commonly used with

crowd stranger doorway shoulder corridor wall

Forms

Base

brush by

I/you/we/they

3rd person

brushes by

he/she/it

Past simple

brushed by

yesterday

Past participle

brushed by

have + pp

-ing form

brushing by

continuous

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