1
as in level
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
Relevance
2
as in baton
Scottish
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
the watchman usually carried a stout oak rung
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in chimed
to make the clear sound heard when metal vibrates
I didn't hear the doorbell ring
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 rung
Andrew Duehren, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
The next rung of the ladder involves finding distant Cepheids and comparing their intrinsic luminosity (obtained using their periodicity) to their observed luminosity to estimate distances to their host galaxies.
—Anil Ananthaswamy, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2025
Early rooms are usually the same and somewhat simple — hallways, bedrooms, and puzzle parlors — but the closer the player gets up the rungs of the grid toward the antechamber, the higher the rank of each room gets, with more complex options (and solutions) presenting themselves.
—Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2025
But ‘Europa League specialist’ is faint praise because the tournament is the second rung on UEFA’s ladder.
—Justin Guthrie, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rung
Noun
But tax cuts and tariffs have varying effects for different rungs of the socioeconomic ladder.
—Andrew Duehren, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
The next rung of the ladder involves finding distant Cepheids and comparing their intrinsic luminosity (obtained using their periodicity) to their observed luminosity to estimate distances to their host galaxies.
—Anil Ananthaswamy, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2025
Early rooms are usually the same and somewhat simple — hallways, bedrooms, and puzzle parlors — but the closer the player gets up the rungs of the grid toward the antechamber, the higher the rank of each room gets, with more complex options (and solutions) presenting themselves.
—Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2025
But ‘Europa League specialist’ is faint praise because the tournament is the second rung on UEFA’s ladder.
—Justin Guthrie, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rung
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rung
Noun
-
When traveling with a partner, or with friends, the strategizing can reach a whole other level.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The duo forged a bond while on England duty at under-17 level.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The baton came back to him once Paramount Plus gave a green light to The Challenge: All Stars, and OGs like himself were given a second shot at glory.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2025
-
The baton passes, rather frenetically, to other standout friends, too.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Faced with a nearly $1-billion shortfall, Bass has been weighing whether to lay off more than 1,500 city workers — or almost 5% of the workforce — while also eliminating some vacant positions.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
-
The letter comes more than a year before three of those five officials will seek to defend their positions in the 2026 election.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Cut Stems Back Using your bypass pruners, cut live canes back to 12 inches tall.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Green, who is Black, regularly uses a cane to walk around the Capitol and has done so for years.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The goal showed the intelligence of Lyon’s players, but also the X factor present in their ranks.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Ord continued his service in the regular army after the war at the permanent rank of brigadier general.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But as the question posed by its title indicates, the actor and singer holds the world to pretty exacting standards — and her debut full-length is a confident, sumptuous statement of intent that places her firmly in R&B’s upper echelons.—
Maura Johnston,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2025
-
His ascent to the main event echelon of WWE has been nothing short of remarkable.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Nice sit 63rd in the ELO rankings — a measure of team strength that allocates points for every result, weighted by the quality of opposition faced — ahead of Galatasaray and level with Freiburg.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Ellison improved his ranking by one from No. 5 in 2024, while Page vaulted three places from No. 10 and Brin jumped three positions from No. 11.—
Sarah Linn,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
His journey wasn’t straightforward, but every setback and failure led him to a place of profound understanding.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
-
The sofa features reversible cushions that provide excellent support and plush pillow-style armrests that are the perfect place to perch your feet.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rung. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share