as in level
the placement of someone or something in relation to others in a vertical arrangement
jobs in the upper echelons of the company pay quite well indeed
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Recent Examples of echelon
Even as the industry leans into horror at the box office and in the press, its upper echelon shows an equally strong urge to use the genre’s intensity as an excuse to look away from the nightmares that most need illuminating.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026
Stock market rallies and appreciating home values tend to buoy the upper echelon, who disproportionately own such assets, and leave lower-income households behind.
—Greg Iacurci,jessica Dickler, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
The Israeli government announced its forces killed Iran's security chief, Ali Larijani, in strikes on March 17, eliminating one of the country's most powerful political figures who once pushed for a nuclear peace deal and spent decades in the upper echelons of the Islamic Republic.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
That was former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who helped elevate Murray into the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for echelon
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026
Stock market rallies and appreciating home values tend to buoy the upper echelon, who disproportionately own such assets, and leave lower-income households behind.
—Greg Iacurci,jessica Dickler, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
The Israeli government announced its forces killed Iran's security chief, Ali Larijani, in strikes on March 17, eliminating one of the country's most powerful political figures who once pushed for a nuclear peace deal and spent decades in the upper echelons of the Islamic Republic.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
That was former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who helped elevate Murray into the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for echelon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for echelon
Noun
-
Together, the potential departures of two of Kansas City’s most experienced lawmakers — one on his own terms, one forced — could play a role in shaping the city’s future and diminish its ability to secure local priorities at the federal level.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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And decibel levels would abide by local noise ordinances, with the facility’s HVAC system making about as much sound as a standard office system, according to the company.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
FishBooker searched throughout the nation for the best lakes for anglers and came up with this ranking that includes waters in Colorado and the beautiful environment of Idaho.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
April 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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Our writers make their picks Shortly before FIFA issued their new rankings, Nick Miller and Tim Spiers put themselves in harm’s way by ranking all 48 World Cup teams for us (this caused hell in the comments – feel free to shout at them, too).—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Ghalibaf came through the ranks of the guard himself and is believed to be among the inner circle of Mojtaba Khamenei, the ayatollah's son and successor.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2026
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The Sharks rank 12th while the Blues are 13th in the Western Conference.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Rocker got off to a rocky start in the first inning after a ball slipped past the glove of Josh Jung, followed by a wild pitch, which put a runner in scoring position with only one out, before back-to-back singles by Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart netted the Reds their first two runs of the game.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
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Twenty-five candidates filed for nine Legislature positions, including 17 Democrats and eight Republicans.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The standings coming into this week have Huntington Beach (7-1 in league) in first place followed by Corona del Mar (6-2), Newport Harbor (5-3) and Los Alamitos (4-3).—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
31 Mar. 2026
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Les Grenadiers, as the team is often called, were in the midst of a magical run through the regional tournament that determined which teams from North America would earn a place in the 2026 World Cup.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Echelon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/echelon. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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