file 1 of 3

verb (1)

Definition of filenext
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction beautifully filed nails that obviously had been done by a manicurist

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

file

2 of 3

verb (2)

as in to march
to move along with a steady regular step especially in a group to the strains of that familiar music, this year's graduating class filed into the auditorium

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

file

3 of 3

noun

as in queue
a series of persons or things arranged one behind another a long file of people waiting to get tickets to the game

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 file
Verb
Days later, his mother, Teresita Lavandeira, filed for temporary custody of Mario, 13; Mia, 11; and Mayte, 8. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026 Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, filed a motion earlier this month arguing that she should be spared a second trial on the grounds of double jeopardy. — Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
Noun
Trimming and combining these files reduces the work a browser has to do before your page appears. — Anthony Savino, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 In my own experiment, Claude was able to recognize that my genome file did not contain enough information to make reliable conclusions regarding genetic risk scores for common diseases. — Euan Ashley, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for file
Recent Examples of Synonyms for file
  1. rub
  2. march
  3. queue
  4. sand
  5. stride
  6. line
  7. polish
  8. column
Verb
  • September 23 – October 22 Money and social plans could rub each other the wrong way today.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Libra September 23 – October 22 Money and social plans could rub each other the wrong way today.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of rub
Verb
  • Bidh admitted as much, begrudgingly saying the STC would coordinate with local authorities to defend their land if the Houthis marched south, though maintaining it wouldn’t directly coordinate with the PLC itself.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Braving 100-degree heat, protesters marched through Culver City demanding local media corporations do their part to defend democracy.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of march
Noun
  • One prospective shopper, Sam, a 38-year-old freelance fashion designer, was drawn in first by the queue, but decided to stick it out.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Watching an alert queue and flagging what’s malicious is only part of a security operator’s job.
    — Lydia Zhang, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of queue
Verb
  • The roughly 7,300-square-foot residence has been adapted for contemporary living without completely sanding away what came before.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Bass delves into the ease (or difficulty) of loving people in terms anyone could grasp, sanding down the uniqueness of Cyrus’s viewpoint.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of sand
Verb
  • Rossi is deeply inspired by Umberto Boccioni’s Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, the Futurist sculpture of a figure striding forward, its body fragmented into aerodynamic forms that suggest speed and movement.
    — Alison S. Cohn, Vogue, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Hansen strides into frame and asks the cowering man what his fate should be.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of stride
Noun
  • The line as verb replaces the orthogonal, producing—in relation to a succession of horizons—multiple centers.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The starting point to incorporate his art was the brand’s shield, which reminded Hirst of a butterfly with its single line of symmetry.
    — Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of line
Verb
  • From tailored and polished to embellished, the skirt became a canvas for personal expression.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In this installment, author Min Jin Lee recounts a factchecking trip to Sydney to polish American Hagwon, the followup to her books Free Food for Millionaires and Pachinko.
    — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of polish
Noun
  • Knoepfler is a professor of cell biology and human anatomy at UC Davis School of Medicine and author of Lab Dish, a STAT column about regenerative medicine.
    — Paul Knoepfler, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Perspectives Ideas expressed in the piece The column argues that an editorial-independence board is unlikely to protect CNN and CBS News if the owner can shape the newsroom and the board lacks clear authority to overrule management.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of column

Phrases Containing file

Browse Nearby Words

filching
file
filed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“File.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/file. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on file

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about file

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of regimen

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All