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 rungs were slippery with rain, and the bridge wobbled sickeningly with each step.
—
Robert Moor, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
The Marco Polo cockpit also rises several rungs above the Jules Verne, though those that prefer a simpler analog environment will probably like the latter better.
—New Atlas, 25 Feb. 2026
For wood surfaces and antiques, break out a microfiber cloth—and don't forget about your windowsills, shower rungs, and shelves.
—Nashia Baker, Martha Stewart, 19 Feb. 2026
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
Robert Moor, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
The Marco Polo cockpit also rises several rungs above the Jules Verne, though those that prefer a simpler analog environment will probably like the latter better.
—New Atlas, 25 Feb. 2026
For wood surfaces and antiques, break out a microfiber cloth—and don't forget about your windowsills, shower rungs, and shelves.
—Nashia Baker, Martha Stewart, 19 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rungs
Noun
-
The show portrays devious, cocaine-huffing young bankers climbing the ranks of global finance, and Yasmin—or Yas, for short—has cut the least noble path of all.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Alice’s father is a British government official high in the ranks of Bombay society so her friendship with film star Rochana is frowned on by her strict mother.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Rehabilitative strategies that rely on multisensory processing could boost outcomes, such as using canes for mobility or auditory aids that allow the newly-sighted to simultaneously use cues from other senses while learning to see.—
Sachin Rawat,
Big Think,
2 Mar. 2026
-
There were those with canes and walkers, who came of age in Jackson’s time, and those who benefited from his legacy.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Chip companies like Broadcom have faced a number of headwinds in recent months, including a shortage of the high bandwidth memory crucial for custom accelerators, and capacity constraints at the most advanced levels of chip manufacturing and packaging.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
-
These adjustments, referred to as population controls, are likely to show steep downward revisions to both population and labor-force levels – largely reflecting reduced immigration.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Police responded with batons, tear gas and gunfire, leaving 10 people dead and more than 50 injured.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Police responded with batons, tear gas, and gunfire, leaving 10 people dead and more than 50 injured.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The top echelons of the Islamic Republic boast a deep bench of mostly hard-liners — not surprising, perhaps, for a nation that has braced for attack for years, if not decades.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The show follows Wiig’s wannabe patrician Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons, who is hell-bent on becoming the belle of 1960’s Palm Beach by elbowing her way into the upper echelons of Florida’s most exclusive beach club, the Palm Royale.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Israel also pressed on with near-daily strikes, primarily in southern Lebanon, saying that Hezbollah has been trying to rebuild its positions there, killing nearly 400 people while the ceasefire was in place.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
-
His positions are left, but his speeches are like butter melting on warm bread.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The discrepancies tended to be largest in lower-income regions, including parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, where there are typically fewer local tide gauges and direct ocean measurements; these places are more reliant on models that perform poorly there.—
Marcos Magaña,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The fact is that winters used to be colder than this, and in many places in the US, winter is now the fastest-warming season.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 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 7 Mar. 2026.
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