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Glite Dictionary
to file off

to file off

3 5.2
To rub a surface with a small rough tool to remove something
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : limar
  • Around 4:30 A.M. on the 20th, Madison and his team filed off the South Summit and moved across the fixed line toward the Hillary Step, their last major obstacle.
  • serial numbers filed off
  • numbers filed off

Examples

  • Berners-Lee handed the file off to Jean-François Groff, a programmer on the Web project.

    Blog text (7)

  • I carefully filed off the sharp edges of the metal piece to make it safe to handle.

  • Someone filed off the numbers.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • I had to file off the rough spots.

    Bundy Manor (2022)

  • Maybe if I filed off a little bit more - of this horn.

    Death of a Unicorn (2025)

  • You just filed off the serial number.

    U.S. Marshals (1998)

  • Some damn fool came along and filed off the top of the front sight there.

    The Missouri Breaks (1976)

  • AVI files off a microSD card.

    Blog text (14)

  • They couldn't even bother to file off the serial numbers.

    Blog text (10)

  • She reaches for her purse and knocks the file off the table.

    Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

to scrape
vsto file off
62 1.2

To rub material off a surface with something hard or sharp

uses a controlled metal tool action rather than a single sharp contact
to file
vsto file off
7 5.1

To rub something with a rough tool to make it smooth

removes material from a surface using a small rough metal tool
to rub off
vsto file off
5 3.4

Come off a surface when something moves against it

is an active action removing material using a small rough metal tool
to scrub off
vsto file off
1 2.5

To remove dirt or stains by rubbing hard with a brush

removes solid parts by precise friction from a small rough metal tool not cleaning
to sand off
vsto file off
1 4.7

To remove the top layer of something by rubbing it with sandpaper

removes material from a surface using a small rough metal tool instead
to rub away
vsto file off
1 3.4

Remove a mark by moving a cloth or hand over it many times

does the same removal but always with a small rough metal tool
to rub out
vsto file off
1 4.3

Erase a mark by using an eraser or cloth until it disappears

removes solid material using a small rough metal tool rather than erasing marks
to rub down
vsto file off
4.4

To make a surface smooth by moving something over it

focuses on removing material precisely with a small rough metal tool

Antonyms

to apply
263 1.3

Put a substance onto a surface to cover it

How Abrasive

grind
5 2.5
to file off
3 5.2
to sand off
1 4.7
to scrape
62 1.2
to wipe off
20 1.0

Surface Forms

file off infinitive
filed off past
filed off past participle
filing off present participle
files off third person singular

Morphology

file + off

The meaning 'to remove material by rubbing with a file' is directly derivable from 'file' (to smooth or remove material by rubbing) combined with the particle 'off' (indicating removal). This verb+particle composition is a common, compositional English pattern that a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand.

Etymology

File off comes from using a file, a rough piece of metal, to rub part of something off a surface. Imagine someone rubbing a serial number or paint away; it means 'to remove something by rubbing it off', so file off means to take something off by filing.