1
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
The canopy of rising columns that resemble a forest open above, which allows light to pour through and mimic sunlight filtering through leaves.
—
ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
When viewed from the ground outside the Lincoln Memorial, the arch’s two columns would create a frame around Arlington House.
—New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The grand columns, arches, and intricate tilework in the courtyard bestow a palatial impression, while little flourishes of local style lurk in every bedroom—there are seven.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 29 Apr. 2026
Other past lives included stints as the Nova-Park Gotham Hotel and Hotel Maxim’s de Paris—understandable, given the inarguable Beaux-Arts opulence to the Landmark building, with its limestone carvings, copper cornices, and Doric columns.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
There is the Lichtdom, or Cathedral of Light—more than a hundred searchlights beaming columns of light into the sky—creating an elevated sense of ceremony and import.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Shaw’s columns, exclusive to the Tribune, appear the last Monday of each month.
—John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Guards formed columns to flank Washington’s coach, and Vice President-elect John Adams bid Washington a formal welcome.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
The statue was intended to be displayed between architectural columns, so the back would never be seen.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
When viewed from the ground outside the Lincoln Memorial, the arch’s two columns would create a frame around Arlington House.
—New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The grand columns, arches, and intricate tilework in the courtyard bestow a palatial impression, while little flourishes of local style lurk in every bedroom—there are seven.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 29 Apr. 2026
Other past lives included stints as the Nova-Park Gotham Hotel and Hotel Maxim’s de Paris—understandable, given the inarguable Beaux-Arts opulence to the Landmark building, with its limestone carvings, copper cornices, and Doric columns.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
There is the Lichtdom, or Cathedral of Light—more than a hundred searchlights beaming columns of light into the sky—creating an elevated sense of ceremony and import.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Shaw’s columns, exclusive to the Tribune, appear the last Monday of each month.
—John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Guards formed columns to flank Washington’s coach, and Vice President-elect John Adams bid Washington a formal welcome.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
The statue was intended to be displayed between architectural columns, so the back would never be seen.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for columns
Noun
-
Generous spacing between rows makes for easy harvesting and good airflow between plants.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 May 2026
-
The Post downloaded the database and identified at least dozens of Social Security numbers belonging to healthcare providers while reviewing a sample of rows.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 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
-
The fine points of class-action law were, of course, less influential than Crenshaw’s insistence on paying close attention to the way Black women were treated by the courts, and the essay’s most memorable lines were broader categorical claims.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The electrons that generate these bursts travel mainly along magnetic field lines at speeds approaching that of light, producing radio waves through a plasma emission process.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
The refined contemporary interiors are punctuated throughout with terrazzo floors, warm wood paneling, and rough-hewn stone pillars.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
4 May 2026
-
That’s when tectonic plates first pushed them out of the sea, but the shaping of the pillars via coastal erosion only occurred over the last few thousand years.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Developers routinely file speculative interconnection requests for projects that never get built, flooding queues with phantom demand.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The Mystery on the Backlot experience bogged down as fans waited in massive queues for the Big Reveal finale that seemed to happen every 20 to 30 minutes.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Officials said the multi-agency probe into Valente's motivations involved scouring more than 11,000 surveillance files, analyzing over 2,100 audio and video files from his personal devices, and conducting upward of 260 interviews.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The public and many Congress members have been sharply critical of the DOJ's handling of the Epstein files.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Drums and synthesizers are interspersed with delicately arranged strings, but there’s something transcendent about the contours and echoes of Raye’s voice.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
2 May 2026
-
Winger Anders Dreyer was pulling strings.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Orient Express, founded in 1883 and part of the Accor Group since 2022, has imbued the behemoth with the old-world glitz and glamour synonymous with its famous trains.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Morning trains typically offer gorgeous daytime views, but the evening trains may be in darkness depending on the time of year.—
Karon Warren,
AJC.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Columns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/columns. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
