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
The idea of purity — whether in food, body or belief — often masks hierarchies of power.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026
In most cases, the natural tendency to organize large teams into smaller groups wins out, and flat teams end up establishing makeshift hierarchies in the absence of formal ones.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 14 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
And so this idea of no hierarchies—that was the idea.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
That includes a president, a parliament and varying governmental, military and religious hierarchies, noted Paul Salem, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
And Atget was a man who didn’t believe in hierarchies of visual experience, who stood for a long time in front of what others might call nothing, seeing everything.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Our seminar operated primarily in Russian—a practical lingua franca that is also a reproduction of Soviet linguistic hierarchies.
—Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026
In most cases, the natural tendency to organize large teams into smaller groups wins out, and flat teams end up establishing makeshift hierarchies in the absence of formal ones.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 14 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
And so this idea of no hierarchies—that was the idea.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
That includes a president, a parliament and varying governmental, military and religious hierarchies, noted Paul Salem, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
And Atget was a man who didn’t believe in hierarchies of visual experience, who stood for a long time in front of what others might call nothing, seeing everything.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Our seminar operated primarily in Russian—a practical lingua franca that is also a reproduction of Soviet linguistic hierarchies.
—Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hierarchies
Noun
-
An office spokesperson said in a release late Saturday that before first responders arrived, other guests and staff helped some of the people who had fallen climb out of the basement with the aid of ladders, and were rendering first aid to people with minor injuries.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
When first responders arrived at the scene, authorities discovered that staff at the venue and wedding guests had already provided initial first aid to some guests and used ladders to help those who fell through the collapsed floor.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 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
-
Having salary scales influenced by media opinions never felt right to me, but the responsibility is to be accepted with the vote.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In the gutter, the usual New Orleans blend of litter and live-oak leaves was topped by a shimmering layer of pink fish scales glinting in the sun.—
Daniel Brook,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Smith will be the opening-day pitcher, with Schultz getting his first start in the team’s second series.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
-
When the mercury rises, your entire body is forced to work much harder than normal, which can affect performance and health; this summer’s series of heat waves has led to numerous deaths among athletes.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hierarchies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hierarchies. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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