1
as in ranks
the placement of someone or something in relation to others in a vertical arrangement
the greasy spoon restaurant was several rungs below the kind of establishment in which we usually dined
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in canes
Scottish
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
the watchman usually carried a stout oak rung
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rungs
The new frame is something closer to depth—roots, not rungs.
—
Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
The developmental tournaments and lower rungs of the tours, where players build up match toughness, rankings points and the skills that clay teaches — movement, defense, patience, forecourt awareness — are played on it, too.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Criminals operating at different rungs of the ladder dominate the only real sources of money.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2026
After high school in Chico, California, Rodgers attended Butte College, a junior college that was multiple rungs lower than major college football.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 May 2026
Each was a career politician who spent decades laboriously climbing the government rungs before being elected governor.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
The finished crochet blankets are on display draped over the rungs of a wooden, antique ladder and are a popular item with customers.
—Sarah Kyrcz, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
Some options are considered a great catch, boasting superior benefits, while those high in mercury or contaminants may fall to lower rungs—or should be avoided altogether.
—Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 22 Apr. 2026
When there are fewer rungs on the ladder, there are fewer ways to climb—and fewer visible models of what advancement looks like.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
The developmental tournaments and lower rungs of the tours, where players build up match toughness, rankings points and the skills that clay teaches — movement, defense, patience, forecourt awareness — are played on it, too.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Criminals operating at different rungs of the ladder dominate the only real sources of money.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2026
After high school in Chico, California, Rodgers attended Butte College, a junior college that was multiple rungs lower than major college football.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 May 2026
Each was a career politician who spent decades laboriously climbing the government rungs before being elected governor.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
The finished crochet blankets are on display draped over the rungs of a wooden, antique ladder and are a popular item with customers.
—Sarah Kyrcz, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
Some options are considered a great catch, boasting superior benefits, while those high in mercury or contaminants may fall to lower rungs—or should be avoided altogether.
—Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 22 Apr. 2026
When there are fewer rungs on the ladder, there are fewer ways to climb—and fewer visible models of what advancement looks like.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rungs
Noun
-
Castle said victims are too often left with limited options when allegations are mishandled or ignored within the ranks.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
-
The list complied with a 2013 congressional mandate to capture a better picture of the faith and beliefs in the ranks.—
Luis Martinez,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The edible fruit can be used to make jelly, but watch for thorns on the shrub’s canes.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
27 May 2026
-
More to Explore Many of the human props—canes, top hats, desks—used in primate taxidermy became unfashionable in the first half of the nineteenth century, but there were still throwbacks.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The top 10 stocks account for about 45% of the index, far below the concentration levels seen in Taiwan and South Korea.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
The list features 80 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 99 players and 39 coaches from lower levels.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Silvera is especially fond of a moment in which the Swordsman uses Daredevil’s batons.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
-
Videos on social media show officers in riot gear deploying tear gas and using batons to beat back the demonstrators.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Noun
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Their proof would become the signature result of Tao’s early career, contributing to his winning the Fields Medal in 2006, and propelling him to the upper echelons of mathematics.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 June 2026
-
Cruelty and ruthlessness are deemed just, not only in the highest echelons of politics but also trickling down to daily life.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
Japanese companies also occupy critical positions throughout the semiconductor value chain, from fabrication equipment and specialty materials to NAND flash memory production, Barclays said.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
City Manager Mark Dunning said the budgets City Council members voted to advance Tuesday night, which would go into effect July 1, would not cut current city employees but would maintain a hiring freeze the city implemented last month on around 30 open positions across a range of departments.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Take inventory of your life this year, and let go of people, places and things that have held you back.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
-
Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, The Paris Review Daily, The Cut, Tin House, The Guardian, Guernica, The Normal School, The Poetry Foundation, Lambda Literary, and many other places.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
29 May 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
Cite this Entry
“Rungs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rungs. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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