Thesaurus results for RUNGS

rungs

noun

plural of rung

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

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 Another survivor, Ram Chandra, described gripping onto rungs of the ceiling to make his way out of the tunnel as water, concrete and debris swirled around him. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026 Their 3-point shooting once again ranked in the bottom rungs of the league. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Yet experts warn that Southeast Asia’s competitive edge—its abundance of cheap, low-skilled labor—could trap it at the bottom rungs of the AI tech ladder. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026 The higher Khalil got on the rungs of congressional seniority, the more circumspect the lawmakers sounded. — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Gray has spent much of his career excavating the particular anxieties of New York families trying to climb a few rungs higher in society. — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2026 The superstar has now landed a dozen projects on the roster, and only two have peaked in lower rungs. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 The youngest Zoomers are entering high school (and thus making their first independent purchases), and the eldest are rounding out their 20s (and thus reaching for the next rungs on the career ladder). — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026 The engineer’s caste was Dalit, considered to be on the lower rungs of society, which allegedly made the engineer a target for harassment and discrimination from higher-caste managers. — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 28 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rungs

Noun

Socialists are counting on the promise of a society where all needs are met by a benevolent government to convert voters to their ranks.

— Nolan Finley The Detroit News, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
Having another Ballon d’Or winner in their ranks, the first since Messi left for Inter Miami, helped the French side add another layer of prestige in a calendar year that changed everything at the Parc des Princes.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of ranks

Noun

Pruning In winter, when canes are done producing fruit for the season, prune the canes that bore fruit down to the base of the plant so new ones will grow in the spring.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026
Sales of Cardinal’s consumer healthcare products, such as crutches, canes and its Leader brand of cough drops and other over-the-counter medications, are also reported here.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of canes

Noun

And such actions must begin at the highest levels of government.

— Sheldon H. Jacobson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Instead, medical guidelines typically recommend testosterone for men who report symptoms — including low libido and depressed mood — and have two blood tests confirming low levels of the hormone.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of levels

Noun

Police responded with tear gas and smoke bombs, batons and shields.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026
The Unbadged invited people to submit videos of personnel who used batons and tear gas against protestors without wearing a name badge, which police are legally required to wear.

— Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of batons

Noun

The pattern has been skewed by higher incomes collected by those in the higher echelons of wage workers, like corporate chief executives, entertainers and professional athletes.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
From students like York all the way to the upper echelons of the Republican Party, Kirk's death was seen as a call to action.

— Elena Moore, NPR, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of echelons

Noun

This pass map shows the dangerous positions Rashford has put Shaw into with the ball (yellow arrows) — three are in the box and two are on the edge of it.

— Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Some maintain that women are just too emotional to be in positions of authority.

— Brenda Looper, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of positions

Noun

That breadth matters because a healthy theater community needs places where smaller companies don’t carry the price or expectations of Broadway shows.

— Brian Beirne, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026
While both places are effective options, the research suggests that the upper butt takes the lead.

— Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 16 Sep. 2026