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\ ˈthred 
\
\Definition of thread
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : a filament, a group of filaments twisted together, or a filamentous length formed by spinning and twisting short textile fibers into a continuous strand
b : a piece of thread
2a : any of various natural filaments
the threads of a spiderweb
b : a slender stream (as of water)
c : a projecting helical rib (as in a fitting or on a pipe) by which parts can be screwed together : screw thread
3 : something continuous or drawn out: such as
a : a line of reasoning or train of thought that connects the parts in a sequence (as of ideas or events)
lost the thread of the story
b : a continuing element
a thread of melancholy marked all his writing
c : a series of electronic messages (as on a message board or social media website) following a single topic or in response to a single message
4 : a tenuous or feeble support
hung on by a thread
thread
verbthreaded; threading; threads
Definition of thread (Entry 2 of 2)
1a : to pass a thread through the eye of (a needle)
b : to arrange a thread, yarn, or lead-in piece in working position for use in (a machine)
2a(1) : to pass something through in the manner of a thread
thread a pipe with wire
(2) : to pass (something, such as a tape, line, or film) into or through something
threaded a fresh roll of film into the camera
b : to make one's way through or between
threading narrow alleys also : to make one's way usually cautiously through a hazardous situation
3 : to put together on or as if on a thread : string thread beads
4 : to interweave with or as if with threads : intersperse dark hair threaded with silver
5 : to form a screw thread on or in
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Other Words from thread
Noun
threadless \ ˈthred-ləs \ adjective
\ adjectivethreadlike \ ˈthred-ˌlīk \ adjective
\ adjectiveVerb
threader noun
Examples of thread in a Sentence
Noun
A thread was hanging from the hem of her coat.
the unwary bug was snared in the sticky threads of the spider's web Verb
She threaded her shoelace through the holes. thread film through a camera
They had to thread their way through the crowd.
Waiters threaded through the crowd.
a river that threads through narrow valleys
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The thread cites the movie's main character Neo as a good example of the trans narrative.
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Rory Sullivan, CNN, "How 'The Matrix' is a trans story, according to Netflix and co-director," 7 Aug. 2020 The thread was, of course, a little mean itself, and the responses have varying credibility.
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Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, "Ellen DeGeneres’s Relatability Crisis," 7 Aug. 2020 The thread was a whopping 148 tweets and detailed Zola and a girl named Jessica’s wild trip to Florida.
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Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "The First Zola Movie Trailer Is Here, and It’s So Good," 6 Aug. 2020 In this room, the graphic rug from ABC Home acted as the connecting thread, pulling together bold elements like lime green Julian Chichester chairs, framed artwork by the couple's daughter, and curtains by Laura Park.
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Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "Betsy Wentz's Pennsylvania Home Proves There's No Such Thing as Too Much Pattern," 30 July 2020 The last fragile thread linking us to the Golden Age of Hollywood has snapped.
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Anne Cohen, refinery29.com, "Hollywood Wanted Olivia De Havilland To Play An Ingenue Forever. So She Sued Them.," 28 July 2020 And this journey—from the funky outpost of Murrells Inlet through the culinary mecca of Charleston and south to a shrimp dock on Hilton Head Island—ties those facets of shrimp culture together like pearls on a thread.
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Stephanie Hunt, Southern Living, "The Ultimate South Carolina Shrimp Road Trip," 12 July 2020 The last word in coziness, it’s 100% cotton (180 thread count with polyester fill) and comes in enough patterns to satisfy even the most esoteric of tastes.
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CNN Underscored, "Maximize small rooms with Bed Bath & Beyond’s space-saving products," 10 July 2020 People just want to be presented as three-dimensional, said Paballo Chauke, a 29-year-old biotech employee in Capetown, South Africa, who expressed his frustrations in a lengthy Twitter thread.
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Danielle Paquette, Washington Post, "Beyoncé released a video celebrating ‘African tradition.’ Then came the backlash.," 9 July 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb He was forced to thread a narrow needle of criticizing Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell while pledging support for Trump.
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Natalie Allison, USA TODAY, "Bill Hagerty wins Tennessee's bitter Republican US Senate primary," 7 Aug. 2020 To grill strawberries, thread onto skewer and grill over medium-low heat until berries soften, 2 to 10 minutes per side; cool.
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Sharyn Jackson Star Tribune, Star Tribune, "How to make a great camp cocktail: Tips and recipes from an expert," 7 Aug. 2020 That’s some needle to thread — which is exactly why a return to play is so ambitious.
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Mike Singer, The Denver Post, "Nuggets Journal: Adam Silver has chance to experiment with NBA’s return. Should he take it?," 26 May 2020 Alternately thread onto 8 skewers. Makes 4 servings.
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Lisa Lillien, Redbook, "4 Sweet Summer Snacks Under 110 Calories," 30 May 2017 The affable former Navy cryptologist almost immediately established himself among party leaders as the Republican candidate most likely to thread the needle and keep this sprawling, heavily Latino congressional swing district in GOP hands.
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Gilbert Garcia, ExpressNews.com, "Garcia: Cruz and Trump on opposite sides of congressional runoff battle," 4 July 2020 Somehow, the film, written by Ferrell and Andrew Steele, manages to thread the satirical needle with Fire Saga.
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David Sims, The Atlantic, "Will Ferrell’s New Comedy Is Goofy Escapism at Its Best," 27 June 2020 In testimony to the House of Representatives Thursday, Facebook security policy head Nathaniel Gleicher again tried to thread the needle.
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Aarian Marshall, Wired, "The Two Faces of Facebook's Election Plans," 22 June 2020 But adapting the hotel-as-platform model is a different needle to thread.
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Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, "Amid COVID-19, Hotels Are Hosting Florists and Red Cross Responders," 16 June 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thread.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for thread
thread
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of thread
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a long, thin piece of cotton, silk, etc., used for sewing
literary : a long, thin line of something
: the raised line that winds around a screw
thread
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of thread (Entry 2 of 2)
: to put a thread, string, rope, etc., through a hole in something
: to put (film or tape) into a movie camera, tape recorder, etc., so that it is ready to be used
: to move forward by turning and going through narrow spaces
See the full definition for thread in the English Language Learners Dictionary
thread
noun\ ˈthred \
\Kids Definition of thread
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : a thin fine cord formed by spinning and twisting short fibers into a continuous strand
2 : a thin fine line or strand of something
a thread of light
3 : the ridge or groove that winds around a screw
4 : a train of thought that connects the parts of something (as an argument or story)
thread
verbthreaded; threading
Kids Definition of thread (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : to put a thread in working position (as in a needle)
2 : to pass something through another thing
Thread the film through the camera.
3 : to make a way through or between
He rushes on and on … threading his way with perfect skill between tree-trunks …— C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
4 : to put together on a thread : string
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Time Traveler for thread
The first known use of thread was before the 12th century
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