filaments

noun

plural of filament
as in fibers
a thin, flexible structure that resembles a hair the cable was made up of fine filaments twisted together

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 filaments The deep-space image reveals a 230-light-year-wide swathe of the glowing emission nebula N159, threaded with denser filaments of reddish molecular hydrogen that hide countless energetic young stars. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026 The device retains the shape of an electric toothbrush while incorporating light-guiding filaments. — Advertorial, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026 Extra material Some 3D printer filaments include extra materials laced into the base material to add special properties. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026 Experiments and simulations tell the same story Inside a narrow channel, the active filaments had little opportunity to turn sideways. — K. R. Prathyusha, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 The top glass also slides backward, allowing the heat from the chamber to vent out the top of the machine for softer filaments like PLA and TPU. — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2026 These are structures that branch repeatedly into finer and finer filaments, ending in a tuft-like crown of nanofibers. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026 Out in the wild, turbulent air swirls these plumes into a chaotic, broken landscape—dense chemical filaments laced through long stretches of clean air. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026 When supplied with nutrients, the fabric sprouts a layer of fuzzy fungal filaments across its surface, effectively renewing itself. — Sam MacDonald, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for filaments
  1. fibers
  2. threads
  3. wires
Noun
  • Their axons, the long cable-like fibers that transmit electrical and chemical signals between cells, are shorter.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Modern denim may also contain synthetic fibers to increase the fabric’s durability, softness, or stretch.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fibers
Noun
  • Those threads were already present in the original text, but by drawing them out fully, the filmmaker transforms this classic into something that feels startlingly resonant and contemporary.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
  • While thin threads are the most familiar form, which the spiders use to make webs, there are a few other forms as well that this animal uses – sometimes to catch a prey or to protect eggs, or to use it as a safety rope.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of threads
Noun
  • The new laboratory-scale method uses a molten mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide to pop silver wires off dead solar cells.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Damaged insulation may expose wires, increasing the risk of electric shock, short circuits, or fire.
    — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of wires

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filament
filaments
filch
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Cite this Entry

“Filaments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/filaments. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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