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
-
While in a game with an improved pace, high school athletes in Texas will receive valuable experience in a game more similar to the collegiate and professional levels.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 June 2026
-
The team now plans stratospheric flights later this year, targeting altitudes above 40,000 feet—higher than typical passenger airliner cruise levels.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
10 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
-
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
-
Musiala often operates in advanced central positions, giving him multiple routes to fantasy returns.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
While many money managers view the company as a unique asset with dominant positions in rocket launches and satellite internet, other long-term investors are questioning whether today’s valuation already reflects much of that optimism.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
10 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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