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
-
The roads of New Orleans are cluttered with serried ranks of billboards touting the services of personal-injury lawyers.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Despite that effort, Angier dies, but a new clone is added to his ranks.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Some groundwater monitoring wells detected contamination levels higher than at any point since 1991, which the county believes may be due to a new leak.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The animations show levels of sophistication and internet access that indicate ties to government offices, said Mahsa Alimardani, a director of WITNESS, a human-rights group working on AI video evidence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Nantwi, 22, was struck dozens of times by guards who used their fists, boots and batons.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The video shows officers used Tasers again and struck him with batons, but Runyen in the video said both were ineffective.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Khosla himself has endorsed the idea of a national wealth fund, and the symmetry between his individual advocacy and OpenAI’s institutional proposal suggests that a policy framework is crystallizing within the AI industry’s upper echelons.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Instead, more households are climbing into the echelons of the upper middle class due to income gains in recent decades, according to research from the nonpartisan American Enterprise Institute.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Indiana's Medicaid agency has 94 open positions.—
Sam Whitehead,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Experience, often in multiple systems, pays off at skill positions more than ever.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Travel In Style What to pack, where to shop, and all the chic places to eat, stay, and explore in the world's most fashionable destinations.—
InStyle,
InStyle,
10 Apr. 2026
-
See below for a full list of their gear with options for the best and cheapest places to buy them.—
Jase Parnell-Brookes,
Space.com,
10 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 14 Apr. 2026.
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