columns

noun

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 This, after all, was one of several columns of mine that had been spiked at the Seattle Times. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 The exteriors were falling apart, the columns were falling apart. — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026 That is where my columns were published, but the rise of social media hurt traditional media. — Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 Even seemingly small details, like an owl carved into the hospital’s columns, carry deeper meaning. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026 On August 5, Union ships entered the bay in two columns, with the wooden ships tied together to help guard against damage. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026 Rather than the usual infotainment screen and a smattering of controls, this one has two columns of physical buttons with leather accents, and AC vents that echo the arrangement of the tailpipes out the back. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026 This is part of a series of columns about young people and the economy. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026 Solid wood flooring, mahogany boiserie, and high coffered ceilings, along with Moltrasio stone staircases and marble columns framing the formal dining room, lend gravitas to the home. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for columns
  1. rows
  2. pilasters
  3. lines
  4. pillars
  5. queues
  6. files
  7. strings
  8. trains
Noun
  • The space is cramped and chaotic as volunteers and visitors squeeze past each other between the rows of cages in a converted office space.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The inn’s narrow corridors are lined with huge treasure chests, large scrolls, rows of pots; the furniture is constructed without nails.
    — Pico Iyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of rows
Noun
  • The small saints on side pilasters were sold off on the antiques market.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Even now, its fins and pilasters adorn plenty of new construction, and in real-estate-speak, the phrase is code for high class.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 June 2026
Definition of pilasters
Noun
  • Little Man closes at midnight in the summer and regularly has lines wrapping around the block late into the night.
    — Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2026
  • When built, the pipeline would connect with some already existing lines around Los Angeles and in parts of the Midwest.
    — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of lines
Noun
  • Webb later revisited the region in infrared, seeing through more of the dust and revealing stars hidden inside and behind the pillars.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a symmetry despite all four stands having a different design, ranging from the concrete pillars of the Bramall Lane end to the much smoother lines seen along the John Street Stand.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of pillars
Noun
  • The huge queues in northern Italy’s Val di Fassa valley is all because of a $4 pastry, which has been promoted by food bloggers and influencers on social media.
    — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Despite ongoing hurdles around interconnection queues and grid congestion, the scale of deployment shows developers are overcoming technical and regulatory barriers to support rising electricity demand from data centers and electrification.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of queues
Noun
  • The government had checked a hundred and fifty thousand names against its files, actively monitoring immigrants and citizens alike, and deported at least seventy-eight people.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Windows users will also get the Nero Backup Software, which helps protect internal files.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of files
Noun
  • These days, Jackson and her drag king character live in Ramsgate, a port town on England’s southeast coast where – much like Pat’s flag – strings of Union Jacks flutter along the harbor.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Her scant hair was pulled taut across her scalp, like violin strings.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of strings
Noun
  • Ed Gruczelak, who also works nearby, said trains occasionally stop at the crossing but typically do not remain there for an extended period.
    — Terell Bailey, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • There are a paltry three trains a day, assuming at least one is not canceled for one reason or another, a frequent occurrence in our experience.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of trains

Browse Nearby Words

columnists
columns
coma
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Cite this Entry

“Columns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/columns. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on columns

Nglish: Translation of columns for Spanish Speakers

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