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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rung
Anil Ananthaswamy, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2025
The worldwide smash lifts from the runner-up rung to the highest spot on the tally, becoming his first leader on the list of the tracks that reach the total largest audience across stations in the U.S. that play AC music – a more adult style of pop.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
Rosé appears just a few rungs above her on the same roster this week.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Boone beats that showing by a wide margin, requiring several more months before finally claiming the highest rung.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rung
Noun
Astronomers step onto the first rung using geometric measurements of distances to nearby stars called Cepheid variables.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for rung
Noun
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Barber also said its completion marked a new level of repair capabilities for advanced stealth fighters.—
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The eggs are made from a durable fiberglass blend and feature a flat bottom to remain steady at surface level.—
Noun
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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.—
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The baton passes, rather frenetically, to other standout friends, too.—
Noun
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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.—
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Those details shared in the second chat included the flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets involved in the pending attack on Houthi positions, according to the officials.—
Noun
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Cut Stems Back Using your bypass pruners, cut live canes back to 12 inches tall.—
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Green, who is Black, regularly uses a cane to walk around the Capitol and has done so for years.—
Noun
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The goal showed the intelligence of Lyon’s players, but also the X factor present in their ranks.—
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Ord continued his service in the regular army after the war at the permanent rank of brigadier general.—
Noun
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Always looking to maximize profits, such airlines have come to believe that improved business class seats are the way forward, rendering the posh, private echelons at the pointy end of the plane redundant.—
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Key is the support from the higher echelons of power.—
Noun
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That’s high praise for a player who until pretty recently was just trying to finish number-one in the PGA Tour University rankings.—
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Moana also returned to the movie rankings after two weeks outside the top 10 with 223 million minutes.—
Noun
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The Lesotho Communications Authority said the license would be in place for 10 years.—
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Violence of any kind—especially that threatens lives and public institutions—has no place in our commonwealth.—
Cite this Entry
“Rung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rung. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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