stepladder

noun

step·​lad·​der ˈstep-ˌla-dər 

: a ladder that has broad flat steps and two pairs of legs connected by a hinge at the top and that opens at the bottom to become freestanding

Examples of stepladder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

McEntire uses a stepladder to place an angel on the top of her tree. —Caché McClay, Nashville Tennessean, 1 Dec. 2025

Use a stepladder to reach items. —Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2025

Outside the West Wing, photographers arrived hours in advance, staking out prime spots with stepladders to capture Zelensky's arrival. —Hannah Parry amanda Castro andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025

Two dedicated employees roam public lands hauling buckets, stepladders, and telescopic tree pruners to collect seeds, some of which weigh less than a small feather. —Laura Mallonee, Wired News, 12 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stepladder

• gallbladder
• adder
• bladder
• ladder
• madder
• sadder

Kids Definition

stepladder

noun

step·​lad·​der -ˌlad-ər 

: a short ladder that has broad flat steps and two pairs of legs connected by a hinge at the top and that opens at the bottom to become freestanding