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Synonyms

single file

American  

noun

  1. a line of persons or things arranged one behind the other; Indian file.

single file British  

noun

  1. a line of persons, animals, or things ranged one behind the other, either stationary or moving

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of single file

First recorded in 1660–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When the race began at 4, two hours before sunrise, we scurried off into the woods in tight single file.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

Drone footage from the weekend showed long lines of men and boys standing or walking in single file.

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2024

They lined up single file against the brush, in a dusty clearing steps from Highway 94, and waited for Border Patrol agents to pick them up.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2024

After they enter in a single file, they branch off in different directions and head into tunnels where each person has a designated area to drill.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 2024

We marched back, single file, with me in the lead, to where you were waiting patiently.

From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.