underbrush

noun

un·​der·​brush ˈən-dər-ˌbrəsh 

1

: shrubs, bushes, or small trees growing beneath large trees in a wood or forest : brush

2

: a tangled, obstructing, or impeding mass

Examples of underbrush in a Sentence

We made our way through the thick underbrush.

Recent Examples on the Web

In California, the Forest Service’s efforts to remove underbrush are on pause, according to a person who manages an organization that runs wildfire prevention projects in the state and who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern of reprisals. —Christopher Flavelle, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025

Clearing the regulatory and bureaucratic underbrush is the single most impactful and urgent step lawmakers can take to accelerate Artemis. —John Kross, Space.com, 3 Feb. 2025

Their partners, known as swampers, grabbed at underbrush and dragged it away. —M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025

The apples contain the seed from which the future trees sprout, rising from the underbrush. —A.o. Scott, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for underbrush

• airbrush
• hairbrush
• inrush
• onrush
• paintbrush
• sagebrush
• blush
• brush
• crush
• flush
• gush
• hush

Kids Definition

underbrush

noun

un·​der·​brush ˈən-dər-ˌbrəsh 

: shrubs and small trees growing among large trees : undergrowth