as in public
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rank and file
More recently, he’s publicly called for more rank and file public involvement in government.
—
David Jeans, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Speaker Johnson is facing a major test in his effort to rally his rank and file.
3:23
House Republican leaders plan to move forward with a vote on the budget plan Tuesday night despite opposition from at least four Republicans, leaning on President Donald Trump to help convince the holdouts.
—John Parkinson, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2025
That set of three weeks of chaos when several top GOP leaders failed to secure enough support to get the gavel until Johnson, then a rank and file conservative member of the House Judiciary panel, was nominated with unanimous support.
—Deirdre Walsh, NPR, 3 Jan. 2025
Berkeley is struggling to retain city workers, both rank and file and key top administrators.
—East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rank and file
David Jeans, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Speaker Johnson is facing a major test in his effort to rally his rank and file.
3:23
House Republican leaders plan to move forward with a vote on the budget plan Tuesday night despite opposition from at least four Republicans, leaning on President Donald Trump to help convince the holdouts.
—John Parkinson, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2025
That set of three weeks of chaos when several top GOP leaders failed to secure enough support to get the gavel until Johnson, then a rank and file conservative member of the House Judiciary panel, was nominated with unanimous support.
—Deirdre Walsh, NPR, 3 Jan. 2025
Berkeley is struggling to retain city workers, both rank and file and key top administrators.
—East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rank and file
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rank and file
Noun
-
Through shocking testimonies from government insiders, confidential documents, and private audio recordings from the highest level of the military, BODYGUARD OF LIES exposes the tangled web of deception fed to the American public by the U.S. government during its 20-year war in Afghanistan.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
7 May 2025
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But the results do highlight that the American public is hungry for progress, and that a failure to deliver in the long term will hurt a politician, even Donald Trump.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 May 2025
Noun
-
Historian William Dalrymple traces the current sectarian divisions to the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb, who shattered the empire’s religious pluralism by trying to impose orthodox Islam on the populace.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2025
-
But those environmentalists would have recognized, at least a little, the political climate: a corrupt Republican Administration and an energized populace willing to take to the streets.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
An estimated 250,000-strong crowd was present at the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
3 May 2025
-
Image Another photo that appeared inside depicted a large crowd gathered around the smoldering debris.—
John Otis,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Noun
-
More people are seeking healthier, more responsible ways to live.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
-
But these people, because of their caring for the community, are continuing to show up every day, day in and day out, and making sure that the work that needs to happen during a measles outbreak happens.—
Dan Gorenstein,
NPR,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
Although the district has regularly cut teaching and custodial positions based on enrollment declines, the number of security positions has grown dramatically as a result of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
10 May 2025
-
The strike marks the latest escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals, a move triggered by a mass shooting that India blames Pakistan for.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2025
Noun
-
Dante has been in a decades-long relationship with a man from a rival mob family.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
-
The hostility has gone through the typical cycles of the internet: Some stan mobs have latched on to valid critiques and used the opportunity to spew disdain and meanness online.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rank and file.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rank%20and%20file. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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