RANK AND FILES Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

rank and files

noun

plural of rank and file

as in masses

the body of the community as contrasted with the elite the chosen few might have the opportunity for a trip in the space shuttle, but it will be a while before the rank and file are taking space trips

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rank and files

Noun

But that one course, Sugarloaf Golf Club, is also one of the few publics in the Northeast to have made Golf Digest’s Top 100, a Robert Trent Jones II classic with drop dead views on nearly every hole, carved from a gorgeous wilderness teeming with moose and other wildlife.

— Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Museums are sincerely trying to connect with their publics (even if these are often cast as consumers), and the horizon for that experiment is almost limitless.

— Katy Siegel, Artforum, 2 June 2026

Definition of publics

Noun

Theater crowds spill onto the sidewalks, bars begin filling before sunset, and dinner plans can change three times in one evening.

— Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
The festivities continued Monday as nearly 1,000 sailors and crew members from 16 different nations marched through Boston's Seaport, drawing crowds eager to celebrate maritime traditions and America's 250th anniversary.

— Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 13 July 2026

Definition of crowds

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.

Browse Nearby Words

rank and file

rank and files

ranked

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rank and files.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rank%20and%20files. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of rank and files

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

obdurate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17

Popular

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes