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
Brit Morse, Fortune, 24 June 2025
Five teams are jockeying in the bottom rung of the league — the Sun, the Sky, the Golden State Valkyries (12-13, 48% two-year percentage), the Los Angeles Sparks (11-15, 28.8% two-year percentage) and the Dallas Wings (8-19, 25.4% two-year percentage).
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 July 2025
On that latter list, OK Computer reached its No. 19 high just last week and now dips two rungs to No. 21.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Aneesh Raman, LinkedIn’s chief economic opportunity officer, has been among those warning that the bottom rung of the career ladder is breaking first.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rung
Noun
Dan Shapero, chief operating officer at LinkedIn, isn’t ready to declare that the bottom rung of the career ladder is broken.
—Brit Morse, Fortune, 24 June 2025
Five teams are jockeying in the bottom rung of the league — the Sun, the Sky, the Golden State Valkyries (12-13, 48% two-year percentage), the Los Angeles Sparks (11-15, 28.8% two-year percentage) and the Dallas Wings (8-19, 25.4% two-year percentage).
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 July 2025
On that latter list, OK Computer reached its No. 19 high just last week and now dips two rungs to No. 21.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Aneesh Raman, LinkedIn’s chief economic opportunity officer, has been among those warning that the bottom rung of the career ladder is breaking first.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rung
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rung
Noun
-
His father, a striker at amateur level, had designs on not-so-little Jair following in his footsteps.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Utility officials opened a dam and released 4 billion gallons of water to raise the river's level.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The motion asked for the court to hold the city in contempt of court, saying LAPD officers hit journalists with batons and arrested them in violation of the court's previous order.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Now, more than a decade later and after years of work together, Nathan is handing the baton to Rogers.—
Imani Cruzen,
Twin Cities,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Sit or lie down so that the bite is in a neutral, comfortable position.—
Marina Johnson,
The Courier-Journal,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Rubio pitched her for Homeland Security Secretary during the first transition and again when the position was vacated by John Kelly, in 2019.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
These toads are a non-native species introduced to control sugar cane pests almost a century ago.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Raised in a small town in Puebla, Mexico, her parents grew sugar cane to support a family that struggled financially.—
Olivia Cyrus,
Sacbee.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
And so, a Kennedy joined the ranks of the leaders of Vogue, People and Time, starting George with the company Hachette Filipacchi, home of Elle and Woman’s Day.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
-
But making the contestants decide who among their ranks should be eliminated?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Known simply as the Atlanta Beltline, this 22-mile concrete loop that connects 45 city neighborhoods has brought with it a new echelon of dining and drinking options.—
Mike Jordan,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Sun has found comfort and satisfaction in his work as a novelist and florist after a difficult childhood in the entertainment industry, while Sung is driven to reach the highest echelons of career success as a team leader at Feel Entertainment, having seen her wealthy family lose everything.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Both also moved up in the rankings ahead of the U.S. Open.—
Adam Zagoria,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
As Shelton raised the champion trophy, he was set to move to No. 6 in the ATP rankings and No. 4 in the ATP Race to Turin.—
Lukas Weese,
New York Times,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Here are suggestions for staying safe during a thunderstorm: To minimize risk of being struck by lightning, when going outside, have a plan to get to a safer place.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Come spring and summer, those same doors roll up to the ceiling, transforming Gabbiano’s into an open-air gathering place where the boundary between indoors and out all but disappears.—
Chelsea Frank,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rung. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share