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
Please, remember to stay away from any black cats, ladders and broken mirrors.
—
Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Mar. 2026
Firefighters also used ladders to get passengers off a halted train.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Beyond saving time, these robots offer a genuine safety benefit by eliminating the need to climb tall ladders just to reach your windows.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Multiple tower ladders were used to shoot water onto the fire.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
On Monday, restorer Melanie Khanthajan climbed up a series of ladders with her toolbox to her perch on the scaffolding near the basilica ceiling, 20 meters (65 feet) off the floor.
—ABC News, 9 Mar. 2026
Winter through spring draws anglers who cast from ladders in the shallows to reach deep drop-offs.
—Ted Alvarez, Outside, 9 Mar. 2026
While investors can build ladders of varying maturities, Howard thinks a barbell strategy — with short duration on one end and long duration on the other — is attractive right now.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
Located on Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha archipelago—a UNESCO World Heritage Site and protected national marine park reached via a flight from São Paulo—the beach can only be accessed by boat or by dizzying ladders that are built into the surrounding stone cliffs.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2026
Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Mar. 2026
Firefighters also used ladders to get passengers off a halted train.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Beyond saving time, these robots offer a genuine safety benefit by eliminating the need to climb tall ladders just to reach your windows.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Multiple tower ladders were used to shoot water onto the fire.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
On Monday, restorer Melanie Khanthajan climbed up a series of ladders with her toolbox to her perch on the scaffolding near the basilica ceiling, 20 meters (65 feet) off the floor.
—ABC News, 9 Mar. 2026
Winter through spring draws anglers who cast from ladders in the shallows to reach deep drop-offs.
—Ted Alvarez, Outside, 9 Mar. 2026
While investors can build ladders of varying maturities, Howard thinks a barbell strategy — with short duration on one end and long duration on the other — is attractive right now.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
Located on Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha archipelago—a UNESCO World Heritage Site and protected national marine park reached via a flight from São Paulo—the beach can only be accessed by boat or by dizzying ladders that are built into the surrounding stone cliffs.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ladders
Noun
-
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,
ABC News,
14 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
-
Wherever they’ve been challenged, from subatomic up to cosmic scales, these two classes of theories have always emerged victorious.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
19 Mar. 2026
-
But because genre storytelling already has to fight to be recognized as art, that perception can tip the scales in a close race.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The victory was the fifth in a row for the Oilers (6-2-1, 5-0), who can sweep the three-game series against the Vikings (3-6, 1-4) when the teams play Friday at Huntington Beach High School.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The warning follows a series of escalating strikes tied to the widening conflict between Iran and Israel that has increasingly drawn in neighboring countries and critical energy infrastructure.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ladders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ladders. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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