bristling

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Countries are pushing the president to stick to deals made last year, and some are bristling at U.S. allegations of unfair trade practices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

The top is divided into 10-by-10 grids bristling with small colorful flags designating where the plants should be placed.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

Or Santos bristling at her new boss’s insistence on clearing her charting backlog while tending cranky patients.

From Salon • Jan. 8, 2026

Smith, moustache bristling, bravely taking on the terrifying West Indies pace attack or battling it out against the unrelenting Australians, was a familiar sight for England supporters for nearly a decade.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2025

After they left, the rest of us were bristling with anxiety, but of course we couldn’t talk and so we continued to shuffle along, eyes on the ground and half afraid to look up.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt