as in levels
the placement of someone or something in relation to others in a vertical arrangement
jobs in the upper echelons of the company pay quite well indeed
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Recent Examples of echelons
Grey typically isn’t a colour associated with fun, but the background, lettering, stripe down the middle and sleeve design, have defied logic to propel the Raiders into the higher echelons of these rankings.
—
Ajay Rose, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Few things are more luxurious than a cashmere sweater, but the luscious fabric isn’t reserved solely for the upper echelons of society.
—Melony Forcier, Travel + Leisure, 25 Sep. 2025
That’s essentially what happened in the American Revolution, most of the founding fathers were of the wealthiest echelons of the colonies.
—Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
His death has reverberated across the Republican Party — from the grassroots through the upper echelons of the White House.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 21 Sep. 2025
Her site, which grew out of a blog about motherhood and home décor, had become perhaps the most popular chronicler of Kennedy’s rise, offering half a million Substack followers an inside look at the Secretary’s new life in the upper echelons of the American right.
—Clare Malone, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Enninful announced his departure from the upper echelons of Vogue the summer prior to his final issue.
—Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
These behemoths are primarily technology firms, which dominate the upper echelons of the index due to their growth in areas like AI, cloud computing, and digital services.
—Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
The Americans’ success was frustrating to Iran’s high echelons.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Ajay Rose, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Few things are more luxurious than a cashmere sweater, but the luscious fabric isn’t reserved solely for the upper echelons of society.
—Melony Forcier, Travel + Leisure, 25 Sep. 2025
That’s essentially what happened in the American Revolution, most of the founding fathers were of the wealthiest echelons of the colonies.
—Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
His death has reverberated across the Republican Party — from the grassroots through the upper echelons of the White House.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 21 Sep. 2025
Her site, which grew out of a blog about motherhood and home décor, had become perhaps the most popular chronicler of Kennedy’s rise, offering half a million Substack followers an inside look at the Secretary’s new life in the upper echelons of the American right.
—Clare Malone, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Enninful announced his departure from the upper echelons of Vogue the summer prior to his final issue.
—Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
These behemoths are primarily technology firms, which dominate the upper echelons of the index due to their growth in areas like AI, cloud computing, and digital services.
—Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
The Americans’ success was frustrating to Iran’s high echelons.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for echelons
Noun
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The assessment found that PFNA interferes with human development by causing lower birth weights and, based on animal evidence, likely causes damage to the liver and to male reproductive systems, including reductions in testosterone levels, sperm production and the size of reproductive organs.—
Sharon Lerner,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
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Admissions have not only bounced back but surpassed pre-pandemic levels, despite a dramatic decrease in live-action box office.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In 2018, one of the execs announcing Goldstine’s exit was then-Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell, who subsequently rose up the ranks to become NBCUniversal CEO.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
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The organization, which counts about a million scouts in its ranks, offers hundreds of merit badges spanning everything from fishing to fingerprinting.—
Gordon Ebanks,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Burleson was serviceable in both corner outfield spots and at first base, and was comfortable varying between all three positions.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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This design uses zero-gravity support and preset positions to help alleviate lumbar pain and snoring.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Knowing what was ahead and the pinch-me-like moment unfolding not far from places where childhood memories got created, Liam McNeeley’s excitement level rose.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
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The win against Michigan holds off the sort of angst that’s prevalent across the country right now in places like Happy Valley, Tallahassee, Gainesville and Madison.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Echelons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/echelons. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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