1 B1 neutral
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."
inseparable
brush by
B1 neutral inseparable intransitive
To pass very close to someone or something, usually making light physical contact.
In plain English
To move past someone so close that you barely touch them.
What does "brush by" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Usage tip
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.
Words that pair with "brush by"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
crowd stranger doorway shoulder corridor wall
How to conjugate "brush by"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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
Hear "brush by" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "brush by" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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