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
-
For kitties, there are three suction levels to handle cats with both thick and thin coats.—
Christine Persaud,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
By the time the five members of Tomorrow X Together (TXT for short) appear, not from the stage but through the pit doors, weaving past the barricades and into the sea of fans, the noise has swelled to seismic levels.—
Crystal Bell,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have emerged as central figures in the standoff, drawing praise even from critics within their own ranks.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement While many Republicans view the ACA subsidies as a temporary pandemic-era measure that should now lapse, a handful of GOP moderates in Congress have broken ranks.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Trump, congressional Republicans and Democrats remain dug into their positions, with no end in sight to a shutdown that appears likely to spill into the weekend and perhaps beyond.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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The Corrections Department budget increases wages for corrections officers but also makes tens of millions of dollars in cuts by eliminating programs and administrative costs and funding for positions that have not been filled.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Determine family meeting places and make sure to include an out-of-town location in case of evacuation.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Here are luckiest numbers, places to play Did anyone win Powerball last night, September 27, 2025?—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Echelons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/echelons. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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