The Netherlands number one denied Newcastle time and time again, either side of a 35th-minute goal from Danny Welbeck - who was sadly stretchered off in the second period.
It was the Magpies' first defeat on Tyneside since champions Manchester City edged them out in a 3-2 thriller at the beginning of the year, but Eddie Howe's men largely dominated proceedings without being able to find a way past Verbruggen.
After a VAR check for a Newcastle penalty for a potential handball was quickly dismissed, the Magpies came close in the 12th minute when Alexander Isak's shot from an Anthony Gordon cutback was inadvertently blocked by Jacob Murphy.
Four minutes later, Isak - returning to the side after a toe injury kept him out of the previous three games - just failed to get a decisive touch in the box following a Bruno Guimarães flick-on.
With Newcastle continuing to play on the front foot as they attacked the Gallowgate End having lost the toss, Guimarães won a free-kick midway through the first half but Fabian Schär's 22-yard effort went wide.
And in the 31st minute, Gordon's deep left-wing corner was met by Joelinton but the Brazilian couldn't direct the ball on target.
Two minutes later Isak raced onto Guimarães' slide-rule pass but Verbruggen stood tall to block the Sweden star's shot.
And United were punished as the visitors went ahead with their first real attack of the match. A quickly-taken Lewis Dunk set-piece appeared to catch United's defence out and Welbeck was able to bundle his way into the box and finish coolly.
Newcastle looked to respond in the 41st minute as Gordon cut in from the left and let fly, with Verbruggen doing well to parry the England winger's powerful shot.
At the beginning of the second half, Dunk volleyed over from a Yasin Ayari corner then Welbeck saw a tame low shot easily fielded by Nick Pope.
In the 53rd minute, Gordon headed over from a dinked Isak cross, then ten minutes later Isak made room for a strike on the edge of the box but it lacked the power to truly trouble Verbruggen.
Next, the Dutch goalkeeper pushed away a deflected Isak shot before Joelinton's follow-up was blocked - then moments later, Joelinton was foiled again as he looked certain to sweep home from a Gordon pass only for Igor Julio to take the ball off his toe.
Verbruggen was called into action once more in the 68th minute when Isak brought down a raking pass from Lewis Hall and fired goalwards, but the Seagulls shot-stopper managed to keep the ball out.
United needed a last-ditch from Dan Burn to prevent Ferdi Kadioglu from doubling Brighton's advantage after a slip form Hall, but in the 74th minute Verbruggen made yet another stop - albeit this time a relatively comfortable one - to deny Gordon.
Pope made a decent save of his own in the 84th minute, keeping out a rising strike from substitute Karou Mitoma, before another important intervention to block from Matts Wieffer in stoppage time.
But it was his opposite number Verbruggen who did the most to consign United to a second defeat of the 2024-25 campaign, beating a Harvey Barnes drive away at his near post after former Brighton man Dan Burn had a goal ruled out for offside in nine minutes of added time.
And it was fitting that Verbruggen claimed the final touch of the day, commandingly collecting with Pope having come up for a late, late Newcastle corner.
