have a brush with

Have an encounter or come in conflict with, as in This was not the first time that Bob had a brush with the law. This expression alludes to the noun brush in the sense of “a hostile collision,” a usage dating from about 1400.

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Example Sentences

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For many users who have a brush with the law, court-mandated treatment and the threat of worse outcomes in the future are enough to set them on the right track.

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It can be awe-inspiring for a young player to have a brush with a famous college coach, such as when Edge met Penn State Coach James Franklin at a camp.

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Now Trump toadies have a brush with which to tar any woman who might testify that the president’s long history of crude boasting is more than mere “locker room talk.”

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He was about to have a brush with greatness he'd remember for the rest of his life.

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She wrote, “Did I have a brush with the Master? You bet. But I beat him off.”

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have a bone to pick have a case on

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