often attributive
1
: a structure for climbing up or down that consists essentially of two long sidepieces joined at intervals by crosspieces on which one may step
2
: something that resembles or suggests a ladder in form or use
especially
: run sense 11a
3
: a series of usually ascending steps or stages : scale
climbing up the corporate ladder
Examples of ladder in a Sentence
He was moving up the corporate ladder.
She worked her way up from the lowest rung on the economic ladder.
She got a ladder in her stocking.
Recent Examples on the Web
According to the authorities, Thomas Trotta, 48, of Moscow, Pa., had used a ladder to smash the door of the museum.
—
Christopher Kuo, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Social media videos showed rescuers using ladders to help trapped people out of windows.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
The man can be seen helplessly trapped in a hole near a house that’s under construction, while first responders use ropes, ladders and muscle to pull him free from the dirt, photos show.
—Mitchell Willetts, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2024
For building technicians, this could mean connecting a new piece of equipment from a mobile app from thousands of miles away, rather than from a precarious step ladder in a building’s equipment room.
—Billal Hammoud, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The video shows the woman clinging to the wall before grasping the ladder, holding tightly, as water rushes around her.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024
Players from both squads have since progressed up the ladder.
—David Ferrini, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Most have limited or no savings, and few have climbed the economic ladder.
—Ken Moritsugu, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
That expansion bucks a national trend of shrinking high school classes as smaller birth cohorts move up the K-12 ladder.
—Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2024
Christopher Kuo, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Social media videos showed rescuers using ladders to help trapped people out of windows.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
The man can be seen helplessly trapped in a hole near a house that’s under construction, while first responders use ropes, ladders and muscle to pull him free from the dirt, photos show.
—Mitchell Willetts, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2024
For building technicians, this could mean connecting a new piece of equipment from a mobile app from thousands of miles away, rather than from a precarious step ladder in a building’s equipment room.
—Billal Hammoud, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The video shows the woman clinging to the wall before grasping the ladder, holding tightly, as water rushes around her.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024
Players from both squads have since progressed up the ladder.
—David Ferrini, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Most have limited or no savings, and few have climbed the economic ladder.
—Ken Moritsugu, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
That expansion bucks a national trend of shrinking high school classes as smaller birth cohorts move up the K-12 ladder.
—Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ladder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing ladder
Dictionary Entries Near ladder
Cite this Entry
“Ladder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ladder. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on ladder
Nglish: Translation of ladder for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of ladder for Arabic Speakers
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