as in hierarchy
a scheme of rank or order
their team placed third on the tournament ladder
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ladder
The armrests are adjustable via a ladder lock buckle that allows for a more customized resting position.
—
Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
They were infames lumped in with gladiators and prostitutes at the very bottom of the social ladder.
—Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
In the least, removing the first rung on the ladder raises important questions about the transfer of institutional knowledge and upward advancement in organizations.
—Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
And if that's even a vague worry, make sure to clarify that point ahead of time and maybe leave a porta-potty at the base of the ladder.
—New Atlas, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ladder
Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
They were infames lumped in with gladiators and prostitutes at the very bottom of the social ladder.
—Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
In the least, removing the first rung on the ladder raises important questions about the transfer of institutional knowledge and upward advancement in organizations.
—Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
And if that's even a vague worry, make sure to clarify that point ahead of time and maybe leave a porta-potty at the base of the ladder.
—New Atlas, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ladder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ladder
Noun
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Without a strict hierarchy or single decision-maker, our process can sometimes be slow, messy, or even tiring.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
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The central factor is the growing power asymmetry between China and India, and Beijing demanding deference within Asia—a hierarchy India resists.—
Shyam Saran,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Earlier this week, in partnership with data firm Statista, Newsweek published its ranking of World's Best Smart Hospitals 2026.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Although there was a lot of buzz about Nelson’s arrival in the offseason because of his recruiting ranking, Maddux Madsen won the starting job going into the 2024 season.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These tariffs threaten to kneecap an emerging sector of innovation around the world, that is, for the first time, using traditional startup strategies and pathways to innovate, scale and grow.—
Nish Acharya,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Traditional data lakes can store raw data at scale but lack quality controls, while warehouses enforce structure but struggle with unstructured or fast changing data.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ladder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ladder. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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