Meaning & use
the ladder
The series of ranks or levels a person moves through to advance in a career or organization.
See it in a sentence
She climbed the ladder quickly, moving from intern to manager in just three years.
He decided that climbing the ladder mattered less to him than enjoying his daily work.
A note on using this word
Usually shortened from 'career ladder' or 'corporate ladder' and paired with verbs like climb, rise on, or fall off.
Words with a similar meaning
career path
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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