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
But the detour underscores how automation has hollowed out the first rungs of the career ladder.
—
Samantha Walravens, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
His fashions came at a time when women were climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder and needed to dress accordingly.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
While that investment factored into their ability to draw an invitation to join the Pac-12 in 2026, the conference the Rams are joining is still multiple rungs below the upper echelon of college athletics.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
Commuting daily into Israel to work in sectors such as construction, agriculture, and industry, Palestinians filled the lowest rungs of the Israeli labor market and covered some of the labour shortfall caused by prolonged military service for the Jewish citizens of Israel.
—Literary Hub
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
All of those players had staggering underlying records on the second and third rungs of the tennis circuit, while Atmane has produced an old-fashioned heater.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
The sloppy joe is an unsung icon of Americana cooking, several rungs down the ladder of respectability from its more celebrated quick-serve cousins, such as the hamburger and the chili dog.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2025
In short vertical videos, Klymenko stands on the back rungs of a ladder, inviting one guest at a time to hop on the front side.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Samantha Walravens, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
His fashions came at a time when women were climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder and needed to dress accordingly.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
While that investment factored into their ability to draw an invitation to join the Pac-12 in 2026, the conference the Rams are joining is still multiple rungs below the upper echelon of college athletics.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
Commuting daily into Israel to work in sectors such as construction, agriculture, and industry, Palestinians filled the lowest rungs of the Israeli labor market and covered some of the labour shortfall caused by prolonged military service for the Jewish citizens of Israel.
—Literary Hub
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
All of those players had staggering underlying records on the second and third rungs of the tennis circuit, while Atmane has produced an old-fashioned heater.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
The sloppy joe is an unsung icon of Americana cooking, several rungs down the ladder of respectability from its more celebrated quick-serve cousins, such as the hamburger and the chili dog.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2025
In short vertical videos, Klymenko stands on the back rungs of a ladder, inviting one guest at a time to hop on the front side.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rungs
Noun
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Syria’s current government has in some cases released Assadist figures accused of massacres and appointed former militia leaders accused of crimes against civilians to high ranks in the new army.—
Robin Yassin-Kassab,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The ranks of non-OPEC producers are also being boosted by higher output from Brazil, Canada, Guyana and Norway.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Cracker Barrel in Belleville still has lots of space between the tables, which is good, because a statistically improbable number of customers the other morning were using canes or walkers.—
Neal Rubin,
Freep.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Fennell explained that grapevine canes, the woody stems that support grape clusters, are an abundant, cellulose-rich material, and are available in the large quantities each year after harvest.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In some cases, triglyceride levels rose by factors of 100 or more.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Beets should be consumed 60 to 90 minutes before a workout to let nitrate levels peak.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The plaintiffs later accused the department of violating the order by hitting journalists with batons and arresting them during an August protest.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Reuters reported that police used water cannons, batons, rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Her site, which grew out of a blog about motherhood and home décor, had become perhaps the most popular chronicler of Kennedy’s rise, offering half a million Substack followers an inside look at the Secretary’s new life in the upper echelons of the American right.—
Clare Malone,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Enninful announced his departure from the upper echelons of Vogue the summer prior to his final issue.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Unlike traditional venture investors tied to LP capital cycles, family offices tend to hold positions longer and are more likely to re-up in subsequent rounds.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Toward commercial use Kepler positions the latest gait upgrade as expanding K2’s applicability in commercial and industrial settings.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The bans are mandated in places such as Arkansas, Texas, Virginia and more.—
Arthur Jones II,
ABC News,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Here are luckiest numbers, places to play Did anyone win Powerball last night, September 13, 2025?—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rungs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rungs. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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