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
His involvement propelled him to the upper echelons of legal leadership.
—
Diamy Wang, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2026
The buzz has reached further into the inner echelons of the music world, too.
—Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 10 June 2026
Their proof would become the signature result of Tao’s early career, contributing to his winning the Fields Medal in 2006, and propelling him to the upper echelons of mathematics.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 June 2026
Cruelty and ruthlessness are deemed just, not only in the highest echelons of politics but also trickling down to daily life.
—Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
There’s often a great deal of hype (some deserved, some not) and vendor promises about transformation and new echelons of efficiency.
—Eddy Azad, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Pop didn’t seem to fully go all-in on Grande until Sweetener and Thank U, Next catapulted her into the highest echelons of the genre.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026
The film meticulously recreated their steps in linking the Watergate break-in and Republican ‘dirty tricks’ campaign to the highest echelons of power in America.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 17 May 2026
Weiss and others with similar beliefs are getting a boost from the highest echelons of the Israeli government.
—Shira Pinson, NBC news, 17 May 2026
Diamy Wang, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2026
The buzz has reached further into the inner echelons of the music world, too.
—Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 10 June 2026
Their proof would become the signature result of Tao’s early career, contributing to his winning the Fields Medal in 2006, and propelling him to the upper echelons of mathematics.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 June 2026
Cruelty and ruthlessness are deemed just, not only in the highest echelons of politics but also trickling down to daily life.
—Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
There’s often a great deal of hype (some deserved, some not) and vendor promises about transformation and new echelons of efficiency.
—Eddy Azad, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Pop didn’t seem to fully go all-in on Grande until Sweetener and Thank U, Next catapulted her into the highest echelons of the genre.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026
The film meticulously recreated their steps in linking the Watergate break-in and Republican ‘dirty tricks’ campaign to the highest echelons of power in America.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 17 May 2026
Weiss and others with similar beliefs are getting a boost from the highest echelons of the Israeli government.
—Shira Pinson, NBC news, 17 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for echelons
Noun
-
Cathinone, considered to be the principal active stimulant, is structurally similar to d-amphetamine and at its highest levels when khat is harvested.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
-
Eurocamp gives players a chance to compete against different styles, different levels of physicality and prospects from all over the world.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Rogen and Franco’s friendship has been a point of contention for the actor, as Rogen continues to climb the ranks in Hollywood.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
Tisch’s presence in the top ranks of his administration presented some reassurance to some of those voters.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Operators can deploy the system in less than two minutes, allowing units to establish surveillance positions quickly.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
-
Devers developed into a star in Boston, but fell out with the front office over being asked to move positions.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The measure would require them to stay 500 feet from schools and places of worship, 100 feet from homes, and 1,000 feet from other dispensaries.—
Caroline Foreback,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
With sore-spot Chiron entering your 2nd House of Resources, money, time, and self-worth become places for gentle repair and stronger boundaries.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
19 June 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 20 Jun. 2026.
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