ladder-back
adjective
lad·der-back
ˈla-dər-ˌbak 
of furniture
: having a back consisting of two upright posts connected by horizontal slats
Examples of ladder-back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While their ladder-back chairs and flat panel cabinets have endured the test of time, the incredible story of their founder, Ann Lee, one of the few female religious leaders of her day, has been all but forgotten.
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Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
Inside, there’s an austere bedstead, ladder-back chairs, a cast-iron stove, and a wooden pegboard running along the walls—all sourced from a village near Albany.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Farooq says sanding blocks are easier to use for a project that requires extensive sanding, or for getting into smaller spaces (such as between the gaps on a ladder-back chair).
—Hannah Holland, Washington Post, 25 July 2023
Her favorites included an 18th-century ladder-back chair, an Arne Jacobsen piece from 1955 and a Queen Anne chair from 1710.
—Penelope Green, New York Times, 6 May 2023
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Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
Inside, there’s an austere bedstead, ladder-back chairs, a cast-iron stove, and a wooden pegboard running along the walls—all sourced from a village near Albany.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Farooq says sanding blocks are easier to use for a project that requires extensive sanding, or for getting into smaller spaces (such as between the gaps on a ladder-back chair).
—Hannah Holland, Washington Post, 25 July 2023
Her favorites included an 18th-century ladder-back chair, an Arne Jacobsen piece from 1955 and a Queen Anne chair from 1710.
—Penelope Green, New York Times, 6 May 2023
Cite this Entry
“Ladder-back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ladder-back. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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