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
Samantha Walravens, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Sean Payton moved up a rung on the NFL’s all-time regular-season wins list with Denver’s season-opening victory over Tennessee on Sunday.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
In the least, removing the first rung on the ladder raises important questions about the transfer of institutional knowledge and upward advancement in organizations.
—Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
The four-party coalition government must lower the highest budget deficit in the European Union to avert a ratings downgrade from the last rung of investment grade and unlock billions of euros worth of recovery funds from Brussels.
—Luiza Ilie, Reuters, 7 Sep. 2025
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Noun
But the detour underscores how automation has hollowed out the first rungs of the career ladder.
—Samantha Walravens, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Sean Payton moved up a rung on the NFL’s all-time regular-season wins list with Denver’s season-opening victory over Tennessee on Sunday.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
In the least, removing the first rung on the ladder raises important questions about the transfer of institutional knowledge and upward advancement in organizations.
—Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
The four-party coalition government must lower the highest budget deficit in the European Union to avert a ratings downgrade from the last rung of investment grade and unlock billions of euros worth of recovery funds from Brussels.
—Luiza Ilie, Reuters, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rung
Cite this Entry
“Rung.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rung. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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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