Meaning & use
file the nails
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
to rub the edges of your fingernails or toenails with a rough tool to make them smooth and shorter.
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; 'file' needs an object, so you file your nails or file the nails.
Patterns
- file the nails
- file your nails
- file the nails short
She sat in front of the TV and filed the nails on her left hand.
After gardening, he washed his hands and filed the nails to get rid of the rough edges.
The manicurist filed the nails into a soft oval shape.
Common combinations
- file the nails short
- I file the nails short so they don't catch on things.
- file the nails into a shape
- She filed the nails into a neat square shape.
- file the nails smooth
- Use the fine side of the file to get the nails smooth.
- file the nails regularly
- If you file the nails regularly, they break less often.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shape the nails
- Focuses on giving the nails a particular form rather than only smoothing the edges.
- trim the nails
- Means cutting the nails with clippers or scissors, not rubbing them with a file.
Word family
- nail file noun
- The small rough tool used for filing nails.
- filing noun
- The act of rubbing something with a file; also the small bits that come off.
Commonly confused: file the nails or fill the nails?
file the nails vs fill the nails
'File' means rub with a rough tool; 'fill' means put material into a hole or gap. They sound similar but are different verbs.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'File' takes the tool with 'with': you file something with a file. The other prepositions do not express the instrument used.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “file the nails”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.