1
a
: a rounded crosspiece between the legs of a chair
b
: one of the crosspieces of a ladder
2
Scotland
: a heavy staff or cudgel
3
: a spoke of a wheel
4
: a level in a hierarchy
rise a few rungs on the social scale—
H. W. Van Loon
H. W. Van LoonSynonyms
Examples of rung in a Sentence
Noun
He was on the bottom rung on the corporate ladder.
the top rung of society
the lowest rung of the pay scale
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
That’s just one rung below its all-time peak on the list, which does factor in American consumption.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
The O'Keefe family is thought to have first rung in Festivus in 1966, based on the anniversary of Daniel O'Keefe's first date with his future wife, Deborah.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 20 Dec. 2024
For many who reached the highest rungs of Hollywood’s biggest companies, the most humbling thing to accept is the loss of the perks that come with working for a network or studio.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rung 
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Noun
Players on both the ATP and WTA Tours spent most of the year in that chorus, largely lamenting the expansion of most 1,000-level tournaments — the rung below the four Grand Slams — from nine days to 12.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
That’s just one rung below its all-time peak on the list, which does factor in American consumption.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
The O'Keefe family is thought to have first rung in Festivus in 1966, based on the anniversary of Daniel O'Keefe's first date with his future wife, Deborah.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 20 Dec. 2024
For many who reached the highest rungs of Hollywood’s biggest companies, the most humbling thing to accept is the loss of the perks that come with working for a network or studio.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rung
Dictionary Entries Near rung
Cite this Entry
“Rung.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rung. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rung
1 of 2past participle of ring entry 3
rung
2 of 2 noun
: a rounded part placed as a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
also
: one of the crosspieces of a ladder
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