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
This one-level museum eschews traditional museological hierarchies.
—
Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Similar hierarchies exist in beehives and ant colonies.
—Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
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
Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Similar hierarchies exist in beehives and ant colonies.
—Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hierarchies
Noun
-
She’s been knocked off ladders and thrown in dumpsters, and yet, strings of bad luck have kept her off the WrestleMania card for the last three years.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Gran Turismo is home to over 430 square feet of living space, thanks to the help of its expandable drop-down side wings (which can be equipped with ladders that drop straight into the ocean).—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
15 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
-
Where Democrats see a heavy hand, Republicans see owners trying to balance the scales.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Indeed, in the same study, the researchers found that the more related to bodily functions a word was—or the more similar in meaning to moist a word was (say, wet or damp)—the more likely it also was rated high on aversive scales by the same people who found moist unpleasant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The 2-0 series lead for LA gives the Lakers the luxury of being able to be patient with their missing scorers.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The status of Chun's contract renewal has become a topic of uncertainty after a Fox News Digital investigative series into Yale's athletic department under her leadership.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hierarchies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hierarchies. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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