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rank

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noun

1
as in ranking
the placement of someone or something in relation to others in a vertical arrangement attained the highest rank in the Freemasons

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
as in row
a series of people or things arranged side by side rank upon rank of cavalry came thundering down the hill

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

rank

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adjective

1
as in rampant
growing thickly and vigorously covered with trumpet vines so rank you couldn't see the trellis beneath them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word rank distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of rank are fetid, fusty, malodorous, musty, noisome, putrid, and stinking. While all these words mean "bad-smelling," rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

rank cigar smoke

How do fusty and musty relate to one another, in the sense of rank?

Both fusty and musty suggest lack of fresh air and sunlight, fusty also implying prolonged uncleanliness, musty stressing the effects of dampness, mildew, or age.

a fusty attic
the musty odor of a damp cellar

When is malodorous a more appropriate choice than rank?

The synonyms malodorous and rank are sometimes interchangeable, but malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

malodorous fertilizers

In what contexts can noisome take the place of rank?

While the synonyms noisome and rank are close in meaning, noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

a stagnant, noisome sewer

When might putrid be a better fit than rank?

Although the words putrid and rank have much in common, putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

the putrid smell of rotting fish

How are the words stinking and fetid related as synonyms of rank?

Both stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting.

prisoners were held in stinking cells
the fetid odor of skunk cabbage

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rank
Verb
And while Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and Dutch Bros led the pack for overall satisfaction, Taco Bell was ranked first for speed, with a total time of 4 minutes and 16 seconds. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025 The offensive line has allowed pressures on 41 percent of dropbacks, which ranks in the bottom third of the league, and Cleveland's eight turnovers are tied for first. Zac Jackson, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
That could present a big opportunity for younger workers or those new to the industry to enhance their skills and advance in rank, taking advantage of the need for people who are trained across a variety of areas. Kate Rogers, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025 But, there goes your rank and there goes your future. Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Cosby’s good guys do things that outpace the rankest villainy in the work of other crime writers. Vulture Editors, Vulture, 8 July 2025 Just last week, as millions of Americans took to the skies, June 27 and June 29 now rank as the seventh and eighth busiest days respectively in TSA history, pushing 2025 to claim six of the agency's top 10 busiest days on record. Doc Louallen, ABC News, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for rank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rank
Verb
  • Overall, there are 838 total general officers and admirals on active duty -- 446 of them are from the higher two-star, three-star and four-star ranks -- according to the Pentagon's latest statistics from June.
    Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Lewis said during Monday’s midday press conference that there were plans in the works to again get tickets distributed.
    Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • At the time, that specimen was classified as Harpiola grisea, a related species.
    Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service and other federal law enforcement agencies also would participate in investigations, and Attorney General Pam Bondi is directed to submit a list of groups to classify as domestic terrorist organizations.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In 2023, New College was ranked 100 among national liberal arts colleges, and then in 2024 its ranking fell to 122.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
  • The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, a list that’s been compiled by a British media company for nearly a quarter-century, has just announced its inaugural ranking of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants.
    Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Two childhood friends from a small North Indian village chase a police job that promises them the dignity they’ve long been denied.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Pose was groundbreaking in many ways, but the FX drama deserves credit for being one of very few shows to depict the HIV-positive experience with sensitivity and a sense of dignity.
    James Factora, Them., 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Get your a-- in the front row and study and do all that.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Bieber, Zoë Kravitz and more distinguished guests were seated in the front row for Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello’s spring 2026 ready-to-wear presentation.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The table below breaks down the comparisons by category, in necessarily broad strokes.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The two categories are term and permanent life.
    Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Through USBs passed by hand, through cell phone speakers on crowded buses, through late-night parties backdropped by the sea, in the repartos, fiery and rampant, the genre made its name.
    Ana González Vilá, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Or the rampant crime and drug use in the South End around Mass and Cass.
    Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.
    Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2019
  • Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen.
    Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019

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Cite this Entry

“Rank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rank. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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