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
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
Those rungs are numbered 0 to 10.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Coaching licenses typically operate in a tier system, with the bottom rungs allowing people to coach youth soccer.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine are the four bases of the genetic code that make up the rungs of the double helix structure of DNA by forming specific pairs (adenine pairs with thymine, guanine with cytosine).
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
For Sid, however, this sudden access to higher social rungs is a unique and complicated opportunity.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
The assurance of being yourself and being liked, fulfilling your purpose while climbing life’s rungs, has obvious appeal in youth, before compromises and obligations start to pile too high.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
Whispers of their actions reached the highest rungs at Elliman, according to multiple people who worked for the company.
—James D. Walsh, Curbed, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Those rungs are numbered 0 to 10.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Coaching licenses typically operate in a tier system, with the bottom rungs allowing people to coach youth soccer.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine are the four bases of the genetic code that make up the rungs of the double helix structure of DNA by forming specific pairs (adenine pairs with thymine, guanine with cytosine).
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
For Sid, however, this sudden access to higher social rungs is a unique and complicated opportunity.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
The assurance of being yourself and being liked, fulfilling your purpose while climbing life’s rungs, has obvious appeal in youth, before compromises and obligations start to pile too high.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
Whispers of their actions reached the highest rungs at Elliman, according to multiple people who worked for the company.
—James D. Walsh, Curbed, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rungs
Noun
-
Rival streaming services are also beefing up the ranks of their podcasts.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The news comes amid a string of changes to Apple’s executive ranks in late 2025, including the departures of its AI chief, policy head and one of its top design leaders.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This will help the remaining canes and new stems have the room to grow more easily.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Repeating this cycle helps replace older canes with new, stronger growth.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Water is receding, but Narsesian said levels are still high and the ice still is out there.—
Sarah Brumfield,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The 2026 allergy season is objectively worse than last year’s, driven by warmer temperatures and rising CO2 levels pushing plants to produce more pollen than ever before.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The hospital's public safety officers were trained to use pepper gel, batons, and handcuffs.—
Kristina Rex,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Touches of green, the color Rolex drags out for all anniversary models, adorn the watch face, specifically the Rolex logo and the five-minute markers outside the batons around the outside of the dial.—
Allen Farmelo,
Robb Report,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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From the upper echelons of global logistics to the cutting edge of industrial energy, this week’s business landscape is defined by transition and rapid scaling.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
That consciousness even reached the upper echelons of medicine.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Now, even in 2026 with ginormous needs at multiple defensive positions such as linebacker, cornerback and defensive end, this concept could still show up in the first round.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Apr. 2026
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University officials have said their final offer includes multiple wage increases and hourly rates comparable to similar positions at other area employers, WGLT reported.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Saturday will be a better day to be outside, although some places closer to the shore will be a bit chilly under cloud cover.—
Bill Kelly,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Challenge yourself with some of the extreme terrain -- like rock crawling -- and driving through places like Death Valley.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 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 24 Apr. 2026.
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