as in hierarchies
a scheme of rank or order
their team placed third on the tournament ladder
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Recent Examples of ladders
The man the woman was with exited the pond on his own, but firefighters used ropes and ladders to pull him up to the street as the embankment was steep and icy.
—
Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
In that fire, approximately 30 people were rescued by ladders or dragged out by firefighters.
—Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Indeed, unless there is some inexplicable policy goal to get Americans to buy ladders, hammers, toilet seats, piles of bricks, washers, dryers, and garage doors online instead of at neighborhood stores, there is no reason why retailers need to become ground zero.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Several people were trapped near second-floor windows, the release said, and one resident jumped into the arms of an Aurora police officer before ladders were placed.
—Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Crews immediately shifted to rescue mode, using both ground ladders and aerial ladders to reach people trapped above the fire.
—Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
No state builds more ladders to success or sees around more corners.
—Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Plus, removing sea lions from this delicate system may simply allow another predator to swoop in, including the many birds and other fish that also prey on salmon working their way through ladders.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
That’s allowed for more space for fire ladders, ambulances and engines — including the first electric engine in the state — to keep up with increasing call volume.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
In that fire, approximately 30 people were rescued by ladders or dragged out by firefighters.
—Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Indeed, unless there is some inexplicable policy goal to get Americans to buy ladders, hammers, toilet seats, piles of bricks, washers, dryers, and garage doors online instead of at neighborhood stores, there is no reason why retailers need to become ground zero.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Several people were trapped near second-floor windows, the release said, and one resident jumped into the arms of an Aurora police officer before ladders were placed.
—Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Crews immediately shifted to rescue mode, using both ground ladders and aerial ladders to reach people trapped above the fire.
—Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
No state builds more ladders to success or sees around more corners.
—Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Plus, removing sea lions from this delicate system may simply allow another predator to swoop in, including the many birds and other fish that also prey on salmon working their way through ladders.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
That’s allowed for more space for fire ladders, ambulances and engines — including the first electric engine in the state — to keep up with increasing call volume.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ladders
Noun
-
For Anwar, the prison setting provided a concentrated laboratory for exploring societal hierarchies.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2026
-
But talking about identity has ever-shifting rules and hierarchies that amount to bear-traps that can spring at any time.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Not to mention that a more configurable setup—less custom code—will speed updates while lowering total ownership costs as the brand scales, according to Aptos.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Hacin works on designs of all scales and types, including commercial, residential, hospitality, and adaptive reuse projects, and the firm’s residential interiors range from an urban loft in Boston to a modern mountain home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The jobs report arrived weeks after a series of job cuts that slashed tens of thousands of workers combined at a handful of name-brand companies.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
This new series for A Peace of My mind began during what Noltner thought would be downtime in his hometown.—
Derek James,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ladders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ladders. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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