as in ladders
a scheme of rank or order
honesty sits at the top of my hierarchy of values
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Recent Examples of hierarchies
Lamar’s win was widely celebrated as a milestone for hip-hop and contemporary music, challenging long-standing hierarchies that had treated hip-hop (and other popular genres) as outsiders.
—
Kara Rogers Britannica Editors Apr. 10, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
Flattened hierarchies also disrupt traditional career progression in ways that are only beginning to surface in the data.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
Its mission was to upset hierarchies, not reinforce them, and few things were more offensive to comedians than bootlicking.
—Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Traditional hierarchies concentrate decision-making authority at the top of the organization.
—Lawrence Rosenberg, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Like all architecture, his buildings depended on heterogeneity—joints, interfaces, hierarchies, and the coordination of many materials, trades, and systems.
—Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
The idea of purity — whether in food, body or belief — often masks hierarchies of power.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026
In the modern era, professional kitchens are thought to be some of the toughest places to work thanks to a recipe of long hours, close quarters, strict hierarchies, grueling physical conditions and relentless pressure.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Archer, shaped by the hierarchies of the Gilded Age, is disoriented by this new egalitarianism.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Kara Rogers Britannica Editors Apr. 10, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
Flattened hierarchies also disrupt traditional career progression in ways that are only beginning to surface in the data.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
Its mission was to upset hierarchies, not reinforce them, and few things were more offensive to comedians than bootlicking.
—Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Traditional hierarchies concentrate decision-making authority at the top of the organization.
—Lawrence Rosenberg, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Like all architecture, his buildings depended on heterogeneity—joints, interfaces, hierarchies, and the coordination of many materials, trades, and systems.
—Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
The idea of purity — whether in food, body or belief — often masks hierarchies of power.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026
In the modern era, professional kitchens are thought to be some of the toughest places to work thanks to a recipe of long hours, close quarters, strict hierarchies, grueling physical conditions and relentless pressure.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Archer, shaped by the hierarchies of the Gilded Age, is disoriented by this new egalitarianism.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hierarchies
Noun
-
At one point, eight tower ladders surrounded the building, shooting water onto the inferno from all directions, limiting the flames from spreading to other buildings.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
In the analog era, workers replaced the numbers on reader boards multiple times a day, occasionally from high up on ladders.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
11 Apr. 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
Noun
-
However, as transistor dimensions approach atomic scales, quantum effects, heat dissipation, and fabrication constraints are making further miniaturization increasingly difficult.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Similar scales, smaller, more narrow, usually red, would remain well into the 1970s inside supermarkets and five-and-dimes like Woolworth.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Two points ahead of Edmonton entering the night, Vegas needed only a point to win the Pacific and set up a first-round series against Utah.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Instead, Trea Turner’s leadoff home run Wednesday night was all the Philadelphia Phillies managed against Imanaga in a dominant outing in the Cubs’ 11-2 victory to secure a series win.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hierarchies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hierarchies. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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