rung

1 of 2
Synonyms of rungnext

past participle of ring

rung

2 of 2

noun

ˈrəŋ How to pronounce rung (audio)
1
a
: a rounded crosspiece between the legs of a chair
b
: one of the crosspieces of a ladder
2
Scotland : a heavy staff or cudgel
3
: a spoke of a wheel
4
: a level in a hierarchy
… rise a few rungs on the social scale …—H. W. Van Loon

Synonyms of rung

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Noun

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Examples of rung in a Sentence

Noun He was on the bottom rung on the corporate ladder. the top rung of society the lowest rung of the pay scale
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
No club have spent more time perching on the highest rung of English football than Everton. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026 The base version returned in January at $32,495, about $5,000 cheaper than the six-speed Premium, which was the lowest rung on the WRX ladder last year. — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026 Another survivor, Ram Chandra, described gripping onto rungs of the ceiling to make his way out of the tunnel as water, concrete and debris swirled around him. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026 That album conquered several rankings and missed out on ruling the Billboard 200 by only one rung. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rung

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hrung crossbar; akin to Goth hrunga staff and perhaps to Old English hring ring — more at ring

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of rung was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing rung

Rhymes for rung

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Browse Nearby Words

run for one's money
rung
rungless
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Cite this Entry

“Rung.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rung. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

rung

1 of 2

past participle of ring entry 3

rung

2 of 2 noun
ˈrəŋ How to pronounce rung (audio)
: a rounded part placed as a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
also : one of the crosspieces of a ladder

Medical Definition

rung

past part of ring

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