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
Relevance
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
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 rungs
There’s different rungs on a ladder.
—
Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
But their top receiver, NFL Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, is several rungs on the ladder above Courtland Sutton.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
For Niazi, abandoning ambition seems to have meant giving up on a career that the girlbosses of 10 years ago would have admired—one that involves climbing up the rungs of a major media company.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Few things shake the confidence of a person like crawling to the top bunk of a quivering bed frame, your feet wrapping uncomfortably along the frail metal rungs of the ladder.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 27 Jan. 2026
Two tracks that have already landed in loftier positions return in the lowest rungs.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
That success forces rival companies to pursue their own breakthroughs and climb up to higher rungs — or get left behind.
—David J. Kappos, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
This fascinating début memoir recounts its author’s career on the lower rungs of China’s consumer economy.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
The first rungs on Edmundson’s career ladder included unglamorous hotel-operations jobs.
—Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 22 Dec. 2025
Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
But their top receiver, NFL Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, is several rungs on the ladder above Courtland Sutton.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
For Niazi, abandoning ambition seems to have meant giving up on a career that the girlbosses of 10 years ago would have admired—one that involves climbing up the rungs of a major media company.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Few things shake the confidence of a person like crawling to the top bunk of a quivering bed frame, your feet wrapping uncomfortably along the frail metal rungs of the ladder.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 27 Jan. 2026
Two tracks that have already landed in loftier positions return in the lowest rungs.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
That success forces rival companies to pursue their own breakthroughs and climb up to higher rungs — or get left behind.
—David J. Kappos, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
This fascinating début memoir recounts its author’s career on the lower rungs of China’s consumer economy.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
The first rungs on Edmundson’s career ladder included unglamorous hotel-operations jobs.
—Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rungs
Noun
-
The files have created some genuine issues for news organizations, whose ranks are filled with individuals with whom Epstein hoped to forge personal connections.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
But as their robotic ranks swell, there have been an increasing number of incidents pitting man against machine, from sidewalk standoffs and traffic jams to a handful of collisions.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Some guests will be elderly with walkers and canes.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Grape vines are the most productive when they're pruned back to about 10 to 12 canes with just 4 to 5 buds each.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While standard chemical leaching (without microbes) performed worse in microgravity than on Earth, the microbes maintained consistent extraction levels regardless of gravity.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Net migration to the UK reached record levels in 2022, swelled by the war in Ukraine and the post-pandemic lifting of travel restrictions, but has since dropped off sharply.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Federal officers wielded batons and deployed flash-bang devices against the crowd.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Or to Martin Luther King, whose birthday America will (largely pretend) to honor next week, and everyone who marched with him while facing down hoses and dogs and the batons of cops.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These latest files show the range and depth of Epstein's extraordinary reach into the upper echelons of society.—
Diana Paulsen,
ABC News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
That’s a not-inconsequential $24,000 a year, vaulting Orange Unified’s members into the upper echelons of school board compensation in Orange County.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Once operational, about 300 permanent positions will remain at the site.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
-
This amendment would do the same thing as Proposition H, but for positions appointed by the city council.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the bond market, Treasury yields fell as investors looked for safer places to park their cash.—
Stan Choe,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Together, the properties suggest an investor interested not just in impressive homes, but in places with lasting cultural imprint.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rungs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rungs. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
