thread 1 of 2

noun

ˈthred How to pronounce thread (audio)
Definition of threadnext
1
as in fiber
a thin, flexible structure that resembles a hair the unwary bug was snared in the sticky threads of the spider's web

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in clothing
threads plural covering for the human body a number of people at the prom complimented me on my "nice threads"

Synonyms & Similar Words

thread

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to weave
to scatter or set here and there among other things this history book threads excerpts from the diaries of pioneer women into its account of the settlement of the West

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to string
to put together into a series by means of or as if by means of a thread the reporter threaded his newspaper articles about the basketball team into a book that was essentially a chronicle of their championship season

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 thread
Noun
The common thread is not that regulators are replacing clinical research or lowering evidentiary standards. — Mirjam Trame, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Friday’s announcement comes two weeks after tech columnist Jason Aten said that Meta’s new general-purpose AI agent Muse sent him an unsolicited notification referencing a thread between him and a co-worker over Apple Messages. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
On the Cougars’ next possession, Grant threaded a pass through two Cavalier defenders, finding Kyion Rattler for an apparent 55-yard score. — Joel Beers, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026 According to Cara Robertson’s 2019 book The Trial of Lizzie Borden, her defense team struggled to thread the needle between explaining the bloody rags without offering the prosecution a new lane to discredit her. — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thread
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thread
  1. fiber
  2. clothing
  3. weave
  4. string
  5. wire
  6. wear
  7. insert
  8. filament
Noun
  • Plums contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, but soluble fiber may be especially helpful for cholesterol.
    — Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Those grooves encouraged the cells to line up and fuse into fibers that could pull together more effectively.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of fiber
Noun
  • Instead of afternoons spent browsing racks of clothing and getting advice from trusted salespeople, shoppers find inspiration from social media.
    — Rachel Felder, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The clothing retailer will be responsible for developing a multi-episode docuseries, national mall tour and a clothing collection with the rising pop stars, according to a press release.
    — Catriona Marangi, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of clothing
Verb
  • The village's pedestrian-only strip weaves through small shops, restaurants, and boutiques, and there's a Naval Museum housed in a 19th-century captain’s mansion that highlights the island’s maritime history—and is worth a visit.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Oilers didn’t have the same time and space to weave through traffic and choose their spots at will.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of weave
Verb
  • From stringing her Syrn bras across the Hollywood sign to her divisive American Eagle ad, she is used to the drama.
    — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The mermaid headboard was also created by Friday, who strung the fish-string lights too.
    — Wendy Goodman, Curbed, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of string
Noun
  • In Proserpina, eleven vertical yellow wooden rods, enrobed in layers of gray and maroon wire netting, increase in length around a wire-mesh spiral that reaches three feet at its tallest point.
    — Nicole Rudick, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Multiple wires and devices plugged into a single power outlet.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of wire
Noun
  • Adidas will produce a kids’ footwear, apparel and sports accessories line for athletic and everyday wear tied to the series.
    — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Whether windows are showing gradual wear or have been affected by severe weather, a coordinated replacement project can improve comfort, efficiency and appearance while helping homeowners prepare their homes for years ahead.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of wear
Verb
  • Similarly, after users realized the Rumpelstiltskin meme was made with AI, the clip quickly became a template for users to insert their own characters.
    — Angela Yang, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026
  • French design firm Gilles & Boissier helped design the 21 guestrooms, inserting green spaces filled with palm trees and other tropical flora to make each living space feel ultra-private.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of insert
Noun
  • The New Zealand company’s process drafts wool around a high-performance filament without the twist used in conventional ring spinning.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • This generated a narrow conducting filament inside the insulating film.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of filament

Browse Nearby Words

thrash (out or over)
thread
threadbare
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thread.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thread. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on thread

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thread

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

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

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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