single file

noun

: a row of persons, animals, or things arranged one behind the other
single file adverb

Examples of single file in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
And a line of four National Guard members in full uniform, each armed with a handgun, walked single file through the scene. — Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026 Male chimpanzees silently invade neighboring territories in a single file line. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 July 2026 Like giant ants, oil-hauling trucks with Iraqi license plates and white, cylindrical fuel tanks bearing a red stripe down the middle rumble along in single file, one after the other. — Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 16 June 2026 Behind him, in single file, trailed a troop of men and women carrying decades-old L1A1 and Lee-Enfield rifles. — Dhruv Tikekar, CNN Money, 30 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for single file

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of single file was in 1609

Rhymes for single file

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Browse Nearby Words

single figures
single file
single fish
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Cite this Entry

“Single file.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single%20file. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

single file

noun
: a line of persons or things arranged one behind another
single file adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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