ˈhī-(ə-)ˌrär-kē
as in ladder
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
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Recent Examples of hierarchy
The century-old behemoth has a reputation, gained over the decades, for running a rigid hierarchy and resisting change.
—
Jon McNeill, Big Think, 25 Mar. 2026
Many religious minorities feel that provision writes a hierarchy into law, granting special privileges to the majority religion.
—Eranda Jayawickreme, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Although most car enthusiasts know what a Dodge Hellcat is, there are still more powerful options from the Mopar hierarchy.
—Keenan Thompson, Freep.com, 24 Mar. 2026
The Giants need a hierarchy, a leadership group of veterans that upholds a standard, one voice from the head coach on down that does not tolerate rookies, second-year players and guys not on the field putting the rest of the group in the public eye for the wrong reasons.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hierarchy
Jon McNeill, Big Think, 25 Mar. 2026
Many religious minorities feel that provision writes a hierarchy into law, granting special privileges to the majority religion.
—Eranda Jayawickreme, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Although most car enthusiasts know what a Dodge Hellcat is, there are still more powerful options from the Mopar hierarchy.
—Keenan Thompson, Freep.com, 24 Mar. 2026
The Giants need a hierarchy, a leadership group of veterans that upholds a standard, one voice from the head coach on down that does not tolerate rookies, second-year players and guys not on the field putting the rest of the group in the public eye for the wrong reasons.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hierarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hierarchy
Noun
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That includes climbing ladders, handling tools and adapting to unpredictable environments.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
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Firefighters used ladders to rescue a resident who was trapped on a third-floor balcony.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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FishBooker searched throughout the nation for the best lakes for anglers and came up with this ranking that includes waters in Colorado and the beautiful environment of Idaho.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
April 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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Our writers make their picks Shortly before FIFA issued their new rankings, Nick Miller and Tim Spiers put themselves in harm’s way by ranking all 48 World Cup teams for us (this caused hell in the comments – feel free to shout at them, too).—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The album the 48-year-old country-music star put out last May leans hard into mood, scale and theatricality — strings, horns, choirs, the whole shebang — built around the idea of pushing back against a culture that wants everything fast, familiar and instantly gratifying.—
Theoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
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In fact, China has continued to build out coal power plants at a massive scale, bringing online 78 gigawatts in 2025, more than India did in a whole decade.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hierarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hierarchy. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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