as in ranks
the placement of someone or something in relation to others in a vertical arrangement
a young karate student ready to rise to the next level in his chosen art of self-defense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in balances
to make equal in amount, degree, or status
we'll give both teams the same equipment so as to level the playing field
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smooths
to make free from breaks, curves, or bumps
the construction workers leveled the ground before laying a foundation for the new house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aims
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
the marksman leveled his gun at the target and fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in downs
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
the boxer leveled his opponent with a single blow
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in demolishes
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
an old warehouse that was leveled to build a parking lot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 levels
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2026
Historic heat Since Thursday, heat in the East has broken at least three dozen daily high temperature records, many warmest-low-temperature records as heat reached levels that some cities haven’t experienced in more than a decade.
—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
According to a sponsorship package described to ABC News, Freedom 250 offers tiered levels of participation ranging from $500,000 to over $10 million.
—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
3 July 2026
The lower levels of the home are comfortable or even cold, while anyone spending time upstairs is sweating.
—
Kamron Sanders,
The Spruce,
3 July 2026
Low wind speeds and low humidity levels also contributed to Idaho’s high score in the study.
—
Hali Smith
july 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 July 2026
The letters come at a time when the wine industry is being hit from all sides, facing declining exports and imports, pest threats and historic low consumption levels.
—
Lizzie Kane,
Sacbee.com,
3 July 2026
Why the Special Olympics airlift exists Travel can be stressful for anybody, but for athletes on their way to competition who also have special accessibility needs, there are additional levels of complication.
—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Walmart, Uber Technologies, Lucid, Lumileds, and Keywords Studios have all disclosed decisions to cut staffing levels in the Bay Area, separate WARN notices with the Employment Development Department show.
—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
25 June 2026
Jack Moore,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
The main difference is that Ruisdael cranes upward, to behold a castle on a hill, whereas Vermeer levels his gaze across open water.
—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
The San Jose club will offer players of all skill levels the flexibility to play on their schedule through a simple, all-inclusive monthly membership.
—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
Temperature and rainfall determine how much pollen is released and how quickly levels spike.
—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Russia has managed to recruit 30,000 men a month, levels that Ukraine, with only a quarter of Russia’s population, has struggled to match.
—
Olivier Kempf,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
The lawsuit also levels a series of accusations against the city of Los Angeles and its Department of Water and Power.
—
City News Service,
Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
But a new documentary about the reality show levels some serious accusations against all those involved in the production.
—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Align with what actually levels you up, not what confirms bias, is rage bait or just gives a dopamine hit.
—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
In another recent study on the impact of AI on jobs, the California AI-unemployment tracker examined the state across industries, education levels and region and highlighted some worrying trends.
—
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2026
Historic heat Since Thursday, heat in the East has broken at least three dozen daily high temperature records, many warmest-low-temperature records as heat reached levels that some cities haven’t experienced in more than a decade.
—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
According to a sponsorship package described to ABC News, Freedom 250 offers tiered levels of participation ranging from $500,000 to over $10 million.
—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
3 July 2026
The lower levels of the home are comfortable or even cold, while anyone spending time upstairs is sweating.
—
Kamron Sanders,
The Spruce,
3 July 2026
Low wind speeds and low humidity levels also contributed to Idaho’s high score in the study.
—
Hali Smith
july 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 July 2026
The letters come at a time when the wine industry is being hit from all sides, facing declining exports and imports, pest threats and historic low consumption levels.
—
Lizzie Kane,
Sacbee.com,
3 July 2026
Why the Special Olympics airlift exists Travel can be stressful for anybody, but for athletes on their way to competition who also have special accessibility needs, there are additional levels of complication.
—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Walmart, Uber Technologies, Lucid, Lumileds, and Keywords Studios have all disclosed decisions to cut staffing levels in the Bay Area, separate WARN notices with the Employment Development Department show.
—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
25 June 2026
Verb
Tornado levels homes in Enid, Oklahoma Residents of Enid, Oklahoma, are surveying the damage on Friday after a massive tornado ripped through the city on Thursday night.
—
Jack Moore,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
The main difference is that Ruisdael cranes upward, to behold a castle on a hill, whereas Vermeer levels his gaze across open water.
—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
The San Jose club will offer players of all skill levels the flexibility to play on their schedule through a simple, all-inclusive monthly membership.
—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
Temperature and rainfall determine how much pollen is released and how quickly levels spike.
—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Russia has managed to recruit 30,000 men a month, levels that Ukraine, with only a quarter of Russia’s population, has struggled to match.
—
Olivier Kempf,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
The lawsuit also levels a series of accusations against the city of Los Angeles and its Department of Water and Power.
—
City News Service,
Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
But a new documentary about the reality show levels some serious accusations against all those involved in the production.
—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Align with what actually levels you up, not what confirms bias, is rage bait or just gives a dopamine hit.
—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for levels
Noun
-
Over the next couple of decades, Saez advanced through the ranks of the bank and played a key role in integrating systems when SunTrust merged with BB&T in 2019 to form Truist Bank.
-
While the ranks of high school and college players are steadily increasing, and ESPN’s buy-in has delivered a boost, the sport hopes to one day have its Mighty Ducks moment.
Verb
-
Foley says the dispatch center continuously measures electrical demand and balances it with available supply.
-
This architecture balances public cloud elasticity with on-premise data protection.
Verb
-
The transparent, cooling, jelly-like formula features niacinamide, a form of vitamin B that smooths uneven texture and fades hyperpigmentation.
-
CeraVe’s Skin Renewing Retinol Serum smoothes and hydrates with a retinol formula that’s gentle on sensitive skin.
Verb
-
All eyes will be on Messi again as Argentina aims to knock off the tournament darling Cape Verde and advance to the Round of 16.
-
Safety has become the number one reason why people choose cars over bikes in some countries, and Canyon aims to change that.
Verb
-
Springtown takes edge in 7-4A race, downs Decatur Springtown got the inside track on the District 7-4A championship after beating Decatur 4-2 in 8 innings on Monday night at Decatur High School.
-
Greene downs it, throws the kid his jersey, smiles, and all is right with the world.
Verb
-
An $8,000 Ryvid Anthem or a $10,000 Maeving RM1S will deliver broadly similar urban usability, while the $12,500 Zero FXE absolutely demolishes it on power-per-dollar.
-
The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.
Noun
-
Terry Collins Republicans have little chance of winning top statewide positions in Colorado, making the June 30 primaries almost the de facto election in the heavily Democratic state.
-
Despite taking cost-saving actions, including a selective hiring freeze for non-uniformed positions, overtime restrictions, spending reductions, and travel suspensions, General Fund expenses still outpace revenue.
Verb
-
Part of the problem is that the conversation around remote work often equates isolation with autonomy.
-
Five Hundred Years of Religion in America means this is not just another history going back to 1776, and this is not a book that equates religion with Christianity.
Cite this Entry
“Levels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/levels. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
