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 Decorative floors, delicate chandeliers — Murano, of course — and ancient columns from the designers’ personal collection travel with the show. Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026 Shouldered by sandstone cliffs, these caves in Bayfield, Wisconsin, form when water—and, notably, waves—that would normally flow through the sandstone freezes instead, birthing icicles, columns, and curtains. Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026 The 100-year-old library is grand, with Roman style columns and a trek of stairs to the entrance. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Feb. 2026 This slow-growing cactus has a cluster of branching columns that resemble the turrets of a tiny castle, hence its name. Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2026 Scott Stoddard, Aurora Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns, editorials and more. Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026 Jim Cramer wrote two columns on the market’s recent pullback – one focused on the AI trade and the other on keeping the faith in Nvidia despite all the rising competition noise. Paulina Likos, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026 This is Part 5 in a series of columns about the place of the church in modern politics. Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026 The new triangular gable, which was first seen in renderings shared in July by the White House, sat atop six columns. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for columns
Noun
  • Videos that have leaked out of Iran and were verified by NBC News show rows and rows of body bags inside and outside the facility as families try to identify their relatives.
    Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Attendees can expect shows from high-profile design houses like Coach, Sergio Hudson and Norma Kamali, their front rows now doubt packed with A-listers.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 11 Feb. 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
  • Traditionally, programming a robot implied writing thousands of lines of code to define every movement.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Some of the fiercest storms in the South were reported near Lake Charles, Louisiana, where high winds from a thunderstorm overturned a horse trailer and a Mardi Gras float, damaged an airport jet bridge and flung the metal awning from a house into power lines.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 15 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The coating between the pillars peeled away under strain, but the tops of the pillars remained protected.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Their hands hold a banner with pillars of our democracy written on it, from peace and truth to expression and equity.
    Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Record-high connection queues from congested grids threaten to stymie electricity output even when demand and generation capacity exist.
    Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Any Londoner or New Yorker knows the queues all too well.
    Lela London, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • In France, the highest-profile figure affected by the recent release of the Epstein files is former Culture Minister Jack Lang, 86, who stepped down earlier this month as head of the Arab World Institute in Paris over suspicions of tax fraud.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Feb. 2026
  • In Minneapolis, dozens of people – including Ecklund – have been arrested and detained for hours but never charged, according to attorneys working on the cases and court files.
    Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The Punjab provincial government required motorbike riders to install a safety rod between their handlebars to keep kite strings stretched across roads from getting tangled around their necks — a past cause of injury and death.
    Betsy Joles, NPR, 14 Feb. 2026
  • My music vibrates strings in there that never moved before.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Unruly Orange Line passengers Orange Line riders said seeing groups of unruly teenagers on trains and platforms was nothing new.
    Brandon Truitt, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Kids can attend shows at a live theater; learn about space, trains, pop culture and art through exhibits; and show off their athletic skills at the Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience.
    Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 18 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Columns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/columns. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.

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