1
a
: a rounded crosspiece between the legs of a chair
b
: one of the crosspieces of a ladder
2
Scotland
: a heavy staff or cudgel
3
: a spoke of a wheel
4
: a level in a hierarchy
… rise a few rungs on the social scale …—
H. W. Van Loon
H. W. Van LoonExamples of rung in a Sentence
Noun
He was on the bottom rung on the corporate ladder.
the top rung of society
the lowest rung of the pay scale
Recent Examples on the Web
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Wet rungs and soapy hands are a bad combination, so dry your grip frequently.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
The fruits of that labor is now clearly evident, not only at the big league level but at every rung along the minor league ladder.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Those rungs are numbered 0 to 10.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rung
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Noun
Underwood is a coaching lifer, the kind that started barely in view of the bottom rung of the ladder.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Wet rungs and soapy hands are a bad combination, so dry your grip frequently.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
The fruits of that labor is now clearly evident, not only at the big league level but at every rung along the minor league ladder.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Those rungs are numbered 0 to 10.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rung
Cite this Entry
“Rung.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rung. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rung
1 of 2past participle of ring entry 3
rung
2 of 2 noun
: a rounded part placed as a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
also
: one of the crosspieces of a ladder
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