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
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
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter Lead Several Debuts The Hot Dance/Pop Songs chart only features 15 spaces, and this time around, one-third of those rungs are occupied by arrivals.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 16 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
More importantly, the Flyers are arguably a few rungs below the Senators team that Carolina had zero trouble with in a sweep.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 1 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
Wet rungs and soapy hands are a bad combination, so dry your grip frequently.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 May 2026
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter Lead Several Debuts The Hot Dance/Pop Songs chart only features 15 spaces, and this time around, one-third of those rungs are occupied by arrivals.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 16 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
More importantly, the Flyers are arguably a few rungs below the Senators team that Carolina had zero trouble with in a sweep.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 1 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
Wet rungs and soapy hands are a bad combination, so dry your grip frequently.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rungs
Noun
-
Smith has been bumped down to the college ranks.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
The skill that earned you the promotion is now the skill capping your rise to the executive ranks.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Before the treatment, many participants struggled with a slow, mechanical gait, and 12 used assistive devices such as walkers and canes.—
Amber Dance,
ArsTechnica,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Before the final weekend of the season, Andy, who has visited more than 600 stadiums at all levels, tells us his best and worst aspects of each of the Premier League venues.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
The new Gen-2 hand, named Flex 2, combines multiple actuation technologies in a hybrid drive system, enabling it to handle objects with different shapes, textures, and levels of fragility more effectively.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Sourdough, multigrain, sprouted grain, pumpernickel, boules, baguettes, batons, the list goes on, but one type may rise above the pack.—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
19 May 2026
-
There used to be physical-comedy genius; there used to be simple, aspirational concepts; there used to be a passing of batons between past stars onto the next generation of them.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The film meticulously recreated their steps in linking the Watergate break-in and Republican ‘dirty tricks’ campaign to the highest echelons of power in America.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
17 May 2026
-
Weiss and others with similar beliefs are getting a boost from the highest echelons of the Israeli government.—
Shira Pinson,
NBC news,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Kalama says Imagineering was focused on how the various positions of pilot, gunner or engineer interact with one another.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
-
The affected unit, the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, had been scheduled to deploy to Poland and other eastern flank positions as part of a routine nine-month NATO rotation.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
To promote the album, Rashad’s team scheduled events not only in Los Angeles and New York but also in Dallas and San Diego—not traditionally strong hip-hop markets, but places where Rashad does especially well.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
These are the places where agents can start contributing right away.—
Jim Johnson,
Forbes.com,
15 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 22 May. 2026.
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