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
When a chance encounter with a distraught stranger on a subway goes horribly wrong, Reacher is drawn into a complex and deadly game that pits him against ruthless foes from the highest echelons of power.
—
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 11 May 2026
Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA is widely expected to be more competitive next season — from the bottom tier, where anti-tanking regulations and a weaker draft class should curb teams’ intentional losing, to the upper echelons, where Oklahoma City and San Antonio stand tall.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Some anti-vaccine groups have used Thorsen to paint a picture of corruption at the highest echelons of medical exploration.
—Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 8 May 2026
Dhaliwal noted that experience — not necessarily general manager experience, but experience at the upper echelons of decision making for an NHL team — appears to be a separating factor for the candidates advancing to the second round, and those who aren’t.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Such an agreement would require battling — and even dismantling — an entrenched and incompetent bureaucracy to speed up economic reforms, and getting rid of old-school historic commanders and everyone else in the government, the Communist Party and the top military echelons standing in the way.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
From the upper echelons of global logistics to the cutting edge of industrial energy, this week’s business landscape is defined by transition and rapid scaling.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2026
That consciousness even reached the upper echelons of medicine.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
Instead, more households are climbing into the echelons of the upper middle class due to income gains in recent decades, according to research from the nonpartisan American Enterprise Institute.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 11 May 2026
Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA is widely expected to be more competitive next season — from the bottom tier, where anti-tanking regulations and a weaker draft class should curb teams’ intentional losing, to the upper echelons, where Oklahoma City and San Antonio stand tall.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Some anti-vaccine groups have used Thorsen to paint a picture of corruption at the highest echelons of medical exploration.
—Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 8 May 2026
Dhaliwal noted that experience — not necessarily general manager experience, but experience at the upper echelons of decision making for an NHL team — appears to be a separating factor for the candidates advancing to the second round, and those who aren’t.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Such an agreement would require battling — and even dismantling — an entrenched and incompetent bureaucracy to speed up economic reforms, and getting rid of old-school historic commanders and everyone else in the government, the Communist Party and the top military echelons standing in the way.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
From the upper echelons of global logistics to the cutting edge of industrial energy, this week’s business landscape is defined by transition and rapid scaling.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2026
That consciousness even reached the upper echelons of medicine.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
Instead, more households are climbing into the echelons of the upper middle class due to income gains in recent decades, according to research from the nonpartisan American Enterprise Institute.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for echelons
Noun
-
The department said its Gaslamp Enforcement teams can face large crowds, active fights and high levels of intoxication and sometimes deal with situations that quickly escalate.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
The hotel runs on a mix of solar and diesel power, switching to the next-generation generators when battery levels drop below 40%.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Buoyed by a circle of alumni, the sophomores have climbed the ranks of the city’s junior varsity debate league.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
Over the next decade, Hood steadily rose through the company’s ranks before being named CFO in 2013.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Congress approve an additional $44 million to the BIS to combat illicit export of technology and additional set of full- and -part-time positions devoted to export enforcement, AI executive order implementation, and modernization—all directed toward this exact issue.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
In a separate vote, the board approved cutting 221 classified, or non-educator, positions.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
To promote the album, Rashad’s team scheduled events not only in Los Angeles and New York but also in Dallas and San Diego—not traditionally strong hip-hop markets, but places where Rashad does especially well.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
These are the places where agents can start contributing right away.—
Jim Johnson,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Texas dominated many national rankings in the report as well, with the ZIP code encompassing the Dallas suburb of Crandall ranking second on the list and a more urban Dallas ZIP code ranking 10th.—
Faith Bugenhagen,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Echelons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/echelons. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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