hierarchies

noun

plural of hierarchy
as in ladders
a scheme of rank or order honesty sits at the top of my hierarchy of values

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hierarchies Temporary contracts add to instability, McAlister wrote, and create a culture of silence around employee mistreatment and toxic hierarchies. — The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 That data has helped researchers spot smaller flock sizes among birds such as dark-eyed juncos and house finches, track species moving into new areas and learn more about disease and the same social hierarchies playing out around backyard feeders. — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 Rigid hierarchies have given way to looser networks of transporters and financial specialists operating through front companies. — Robert Muggah, The Conversation, 10 Aug. 2026 There is no recognition that networks of competence are outperforming hierarchies of authority in both the United States and Europe. — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 And with Molly Ringwald as his muse, Hughes’s directorial debut established his gift for frank and empathetic tales of adolescent crushes and high school social hierarchies. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026 In his view, abolishing the proscenium would help dismantle ossified hierarchies. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026 Lemurs also have complex social hierarchies and are uniquely matriarchal for primates. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 July 2026 There's this near total erasure based on what the AI, just scraping Instagram, scraping faces, scraping the kind of racial hierarchies and preferences that are built into every system in our country. — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 22 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hierarchies
  1. ladders
  2. rankings
  3. scales
  4. series
Noun
  • The city studies the problem and eventually installs a few more ladders and a few more life rings — genuinely useful, and genuinely insufficient.
    — Joseph V. Sakran, Baltimore Sun, 15 Aug. 2026
  • As storm clean-up continues, residents may borrow tools like water pumps, chainsaws, fans, ladders, garden equipment and other tools from Empower Tools, a tool lending library, at no cost.
    — Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of ladders
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
Definition of rankings
Noun
  • The results showed that the collagen fibrils and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles orient themselves along the tusk’s longitudinal axis, so there is a consistently high degree of anisotropy at all scales.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Even as dusty plasma at small scales organizes itself in two dimensions, the researchers plan to carry to out 3D simulations in the future.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of scales
Noun
  • And thanks to K-pop stars using the site as a photoshoot, TV series and music video backdrop, this eerie space has a new lease on life.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Aug. 2026
  • One hundred participants were presented with a series of images showcasing the airport runways, and their visual engagement was measured using eye-tracking technology to determine the most captivating landings.
    — Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of series

Browse Nearby Words

hierarchically
hierarchies
hierarchize
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Cite this Entry

“Hierarchies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hierarchies. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hierarchies

Nglish: Translation of hierarchies for Spanish Speakers

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