ladders

noun

plural of ladder
as in hierarchies
a scheme of rank or order their team placed third on the tournament ladder

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 ladders Everything had to be done first, rocks moved, grass cut, ladders put away, dishes washed. — Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 30 May 2026 Fire crews quickly deployed ladders and were able to get both people down safely. — Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026 Traditional ladders to success are losing their luster. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 17 June 2026 In addition, young runners can check out the Track & Field Zone to try their skills at mini hurdles, standing broad jumps, agility ladders and more. — AJC.com, 29 June 2026 Voice and remote control mean these windows are finally manageable without ladders, awkward reaching, or leaving them permanently in one position. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 2 June 2026 The team that spotted him was part of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, which lays the ladders and ropes on the route at the start of each climbing season and then removes the equipment and cleans up the site after the climbers have left. — ABC News, 4 June 2026 The ladders across the Khumbu Icefall, which are carefully fixed by Sherpas to help climbers navigate the most treacherous section of the climb, had already been dismantled, according to one mountaineering company. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 5 June 2026 The Medline warehouse has faced serious citations regarding unsafe vehicle travel behavior; hazardous aisles, ladders, or stairways; and a lack of sufficient foot protection for employees exposed to foot injuries. — Lyanne Wang, CBS News, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ladders
  1. hierarchies
  2. rankings
  3. scales
  4. series
Noun
  • But this divine similarity evidently did nothing to preclude slavery, patriarchy, and the many other social hierarchies depicted elsewhere in the Bible.
    — Teresa M. Bejan, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
  • As muscles disappear and social hierarchies collapse, Jim embarks on a wild, campy quest to find a cure before his life falls apart completely.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
Definition of hierarchies
Noun
  • Texas dominated many national rankings in the report as well, with the ZIP code encompassing the Dallas suburb of Crandall ranking second on the list and a more urban Dallas ZIP code ranking 10th.
    — Faith Bugenhagen, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
Definition of rankings
Noun
  • The data underscores that while clean energy scales, overall decarbonization remains insufficient, with regional shifts dictating global progress.
    — Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • The researchers pulled back branches and dead leaves around the base of a tree until the python’s glossy scales caught the sunlight.
    — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Definition of scales
Noun
  • Holt is president and general manager of Sacramento Republic FC, which hosted a series of free World Cup watch parties in Sacramento that drew approximately 45,000 guests.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
  • The company operates another rideshare series as well, called Bandwagon, which has launched four missions to date.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of series

Browse Nearby Words

ladder
ladders
laddie
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ladders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ladders. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ladders

Nglish: Translation of ladders for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All