as in hierarchies
a scheme of rank or order
their team placed third on the tournament ladder
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Recent Examples of ladders
The park includes a variety of bridges, tightropes, ladders and ziplines.
—
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2026
People set up chairs, coolers, grills and ladders — offering a higher vantage point to catch the eye of float riders throwing glimmering plastic beads to revelers.
—Sara Cline, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Workers move between ladders while fresh paint lingers in the air, the space caught somewhere between warehouse and destination.
—Holly Alvarado, Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
But today’s careers don’t always look like ladders.
—Ashley Herd, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
The bill requires sites with cabins or sleeping quarters located within a 100-year floodplain to have an evacuation plan in place, as well as escape ladders.
—Gretchen Butwid, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
The man the woman was with exited the pond on his own, but firefighters used ropes and ladders to pull him up to the street as the embankment was steep and icy.
—Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
In that fire, approximately 30 people were rescued by ladders or dragged out by firefighters.
—Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Several people were trapped near second-floor windows, the release said, and one resident jumped into the arms of an Aurora police officer before ladders were placed.
—Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2026
People set up chairs, coolers, grills and ladders — offering a higher vantage point to catch the eye of float riders throwing glimmering plastic beads to revelers.
—Sara Cline, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Workers move between ladders while fresh paint lingers in the air, the space caught somewhere between warehouse and destination.
—Holly Alvarado, Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
But today’s careers don’t always look like ladders.
—Ashley Herd, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
The bill requires sites with cabins or sleeping quarters located within a 100-year floodplain to have an evacuation plan in place, as well as escape ladders.
—Gretchen Butwid, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
The man the woman was with exited the pond on his own, but firefighters used ropes and ladders to pull him up to the street as the embankment was steep and icy.
—Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
In that fire, approximately 30 people were rescued by ladders or dragged out by firefighters.
—Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Several people were trapped near second-floor windows, the release said, and one resident jumped into the arms of an Aurora police officer before ladders were placed.
—Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ladders
Noun
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Japanese macaques adhere to strict hierarchies, and displays of dominance are to be expected.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
23 Feb. 2026
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The making of reading as luxury and the enclosure of public arts education is how new class hierarchies may be defined.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If my outfit is looking a little too flat, a little too monochrome, the Barbie pink scales have a way of brightening it up.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Feb. 2026
-
San Diego County calibrates scales used for weighing precious metals.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Grizzlies got the lead down to 12 points in the third, but a series of cuts and offensive rebounds by Santos and Richard pushed the advantage back to 20 points at the end of three quarters.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Twenty-one days later, Vegas ended the season series between the teams with a 6-4 win that featured five goals from the visitors in the last 12 minutes.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ladders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ladders. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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