1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

ladders

noun

plural of ladder
as in hierarchies
a scheme of rank or order their team placed third on the tournament ladder

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ladders The initial phase of work first began around two years ago, removing the metal silos and other immediately dangerous items, like ladders frequently used by trespassers and rusty metal pieces around the property. — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 As impressive as many space-saving tiny houses are, not everyone is cut out for climbing into small lofts using movable ladders, or sleeping on a sofa bed every night. — New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026 Additionally, local fire department ladders only reached a height of 100 feet, CW affiliate WGN and WBC reported at the time. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 The city studies the problem and eventually installs a few more ladders and a few more life rings — genuinely useful, and genuinely insufficient. — Joseph V. Sakran, Baltimore Sun, 15 Aug. 2026 As storm clean-up continues, residents may borrow tools like water pumps, chainsaws, fans, ladders, garden equipment and other tools from Empower Tools, a tool lending library, at no cost. — Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2026 Multi-story homes that require homeowners to climb extension ladders to clean second-story gutters. — Nick Perry, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026 Issues include elevated pH levels,and improper signage, filters and ladders. — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 Her video showed workers in green vests clinging to the upper portion of the structure during the collapse before eventually climbing down ladders to the ground. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ladders
  1. hierarchies
  2. rankings
  3. scales
  4. series
Noun
  • Depending on the club, the hierarchies are still clear, and there might be little overlap between those positions.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • While mapping these structural hierarchies is a foundational data modeling challenge, the piece that most organizations completely underestimate is the dynamic signal layer.
    — Filip Popovic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of hierarchies
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
Definition of rankings
Noun
  • Between a school of banggai cardinalfish, a single juvenile emperor angelfish cut through, its deep blue scales segmented by white, vein-looking striations.
    — John Donegan LONG BEACH POST, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The milestone marks a significant step in humanity’s effort to understand how galaxies form, evolve and interact on the largest scales.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of scales
Noun
  • But the Phillies can carry 14 position players in a three-game series.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The bloodied Hoover did not miss a play on the series and wound up going 13 of 16 for 231 yards with 4 touchdowns and no turnovers in his Indiana debut.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of series

Browse Nearby Words

ladder
ladders
laddie
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ladders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ladders. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quorum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All