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
The evolutionary ladder is meant to be climbed one rung at a time with an organism shedding some traits and gaining others on the way up.
—
New Atlas, 29 June 2025
Contribution Across Life’s Stages Many organizations still view career paths as a ladder, encouraging employees to climb until they are pushed out or the ladder is inconveniently snatched away.
—Dan Pontefract, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Just make sure to plan this cleaning project on a dry day and work from the ground, not the ladder, to avoid putting yourself at risk of injury.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2025
All of those results reflect the new political geometry of health care: Since the passage of the ACA, federal health care programs have extended their reach up the income ladder even as Trump’s political strength among working-class voters has extended the GOP’s grasp down the income ladder.
—Ronald Brownstein, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ladder
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New Atlas, 29 June 2025
Contribution Across Life’s Stages Many organizations still view career paths as a ladder, encouraging employees to climb until they are pushed out or the ladder is inconveniently snatched away.
—Dan Pontefract, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Just make sure to plan this cleaning project on a dry day and work from the ground, not the ladder, to avoid putting yourself at risk of injury.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2025
All of those results reflect the new political geometry of health care: Since the passage of the ACA, federal health care programs have extended their reach up the income ladder even as Trump’s political strength among working-class voters has extended the GOP’s grasp down the income ladder.
—Ronald Brownstein, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ladder
Cite this Entry
“Ladder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ladder. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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