columns

Definition of columnsnext
plural of column
1
as in rows
a series of persons or things arranged one behind another a column of ants stretched between the fallen hot dog and the ant hill

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in pilasters
an upright shaft that supports an overhead structure engraved columns supported the arch on either side

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of columns These are the ocular dominance columns, described in the Nobel Prize-winning research of David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel in the 1960s, whose recordings from cats’ (Felis catus) and macaques’ (genus Macaca) revealed that the visual cortex is not a neutral integrator of the two eyes’ signals. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026 The supply chain runs mine to crusher to leaching tanks to solvent extraction columns to metal reduction furnaces to sintering presses — each a separate facility, a separate specialized workforce, a separate capital cycle. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 May 2026 Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns, editorials and more. Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 23 May 2026 Unlike Ono’s bid — which UF leaders initially defended cautiously through procedural statements and newspaper columns — university leaders now appear to be rolling out a far more coordinated public campaign on Bell’s behalf. Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026 Students at the University of Missouri in Columbia took the fad to record-setting new heights on March 5, 1974, when 600 or so naked folks ran past the historic columns on campus while a crowd of about 1,500 people cheered them on. Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026 The work embellishes the landscape with a new pond set in a faux archaeological site, out of which rise a series of clear columns housing soil ecosystems extracted from the grounds. Tina Rivers Ryan, Artforum, 14 May 2026 Second of two columns on transformation in defense technology and manufacturing. David Ignatius, Washington Post, 14 May 2026 Some of the columns are up to 10 feet wide. Marnie Hunter, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for columns
Noun
  • Growing parsley between the asparagus rows makes smart use of empty garden space and boosts the productivity of the garden.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 May 2026
  • Hulst, lined up in the second of two rows at the start, just over Serna’s right shoulder, got boxed in when the gun went off.
    Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
Noun
  • In the end, Laffrey, whose Broadway credits include Maybe Happy Ending and Parade, settled for using an iPhone app to record the size of pilasters and mullioned mirrors.
    Carey Purcell, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2025
  • With pilasters, a limestone facade, and classic symmetrical design, the three-story building exemplifies the Beaux-Arts style popular at the turn of the 20th century, grand but not ostentatious.
    Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Most guests instinctively head to the larger front desk near the main valet and self-parking entrance, which means Thursday and Friday arrivals can turn into a wall of long lines by early afternoon.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 May 2026
  • The owner hired security at all locations, delineated property lines and had employees update their emergency contact information.
    Jack O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
Noun
  • Two additional organizations have built enduring pillars of support for the community to last beyond the sacrifice.
    D’Juan Wilcher, Boston Herald, 25 May 2026
  • When successive governments weakened those pillars, the numbers crept back up.
    Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Noun
  • But instead of reducing friction, automation initiatives add more systems and integrations, alerts and exception queues, manual handoffs between teams, and manual intervention to reconcile conflicting data.
    Mahesh Rajasekharan, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
  • But as queues stretched beyond the one-hour mark over the humid weekend, online criticism ensued, much of it centered on how Givenchy failed to establish a relevant link between local breakfast culture and the brand itself.
    Denni Hu, Footwear News, 25 May 2026
Noun
  • The files were scrutinized by special counsel Robert Hur as part of his investigation into the president’s improper retention of classified documents, from his time as a senator and as vice president.
    Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2026
  • Topline Former Attorney General Pam Bondi told CNN on Wednesday she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer after leaving the Justice Department and is undergoing treatment, as the ex-AG is still expected to testify before Congress on Friday about her handling of the Epstein files.
    Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Noun
  • Goodrich slowed the tempo and added layers of strings, harp and glockenspiel atop McCartney’s moody bass line.
    Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
  • In saving Becka, Agnes sacrificed herself by pulling strings with her own fiancé.
    Jennifer Maas, Variety, 28 May 2026
Noun
  • The trains would reach speeds up to 79 mph and stop in eight cities.
    Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
  • More than 1,000 trains pass through daily, shuttling some 600,000 passengers onto Amtrak, NJ Transit, the subway or the Long Island Railroad.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Columns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/columns. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.

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