Thesaurus results for RUNGS

rungs

noun

plural of rung

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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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

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.

Recent Examples of rungs 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 Their 3-point shooting once again ranked in the bottom rungs of the league. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Yet experts warn that Southeast Asia’s competitive edge—its abundance of cheap, low-skilled labor—could trap it at the bottom rungs of the AI tech ladder. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026 The higher Khalil got on the rungs of congressional seniority, the more circumspect the lawmakers sounded. — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Gray has spent much of his career excavating the particular anxieties of New York families trying to climb a few rungs higher in society. — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2026 The superstar has now landed a dozen projects on the roster, and only two have peaked in lower rungs. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 The youngest Zoomers are entering high school (and thus making their first independent purchases), and the eldest are rounding out their 20s (and thus reaching for the next rungs on the career ladder). — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026 The engineer’s caste was Dalit, considered to be on the lower rungs of society, which allegedly made the engineer a target for harassment and discrimination from higher-caste managers. — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 28 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rungs

Noun

Some came through technical ranks, whereas others followed very different paths.

— Milan Shetti, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
For the next several summers, Wardle worked on staff, investing in the younger Scouts coming up through the ranks.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of ranks

Noun

Pruning In winter, when canes are done producing fruit for the season, prune the canes that bore fruit down to the base of the plant so new ones will grow in the spring.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026
Sales of Cardinal’s consumer healthcare products, such as crutches, canes and its Leader brand of cough drops and other over-the-counter medications, are also reported here.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of canes

Noun

After the boy missed a long-lasting dose, the house manager contacted the same hospital to talk about how to improve his blood glucose levels.

— Jacques Billeaud, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Tiedemann noted that permit levels are intentionally set with some buffer, so that a violation doesn’t immediately cause a crisis.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of levels

Noun

The Unbadged invited people to submit videos of personnel who used batons and tear gas against protestors without wearing a name badge, which police are legally required to wear.

— Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
The young fan confronted the officers, who hit him with batons before detaining him.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of batons

Noun

The news about Guimaraes wanting to leave was followed almost immediately by Johan Manzambi, Newcastle’s top target across all positions, opting for Aston Villa at the final moment.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Bonnell says the 805 RX was designed around adult-sized ergonomics, with adjustable footpeg and handlebar positions.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of positions

Noun

In her 2015 memoir, Steinem recounts her dynamic, nomadic career as a writer and activist, and pays vivid homage to the people, places, and conversations that shaped her.

— Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
The home country is hostile, literally and culturally, so the characters often turn to America and England, places that are marginally safer but only just.

— Tembe Denton-Hurst, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026