ADJ
- high, senior, superior, upper
- middle
- inferior, junior, low
- the lowest ranks of the aristocracy
- first, second
- He is in the first rank of university teachers
- social
- Cabinet, ministerial
- a government minister of Cabinet rank
VERB + RANK
- achieve, attain, be promoted to, get to, reach, rise to
- She joined the navy, where she rose to the rank of captain
- have, hold
- He held officer rank in the air force for many years
- be stripped of
- He was stripped of his rank by a military court
PREP
- above a/the ~
- He never rose above the rank of lieutenant
- below a/the ~
- police officers below the rank of sergeant
- in ~
- He is higher in rank than I am
- ~ in
- all ranks in society
- ~ of
- She reached the rank of captain
PHRASES
- of high/low, etc. rank
- officers of senior rank
ADJ
- front, rear
- massed, serried
- the serried ranks of hotel staff
PREP
- along a/the ~
- The president moved slowly along the ranks of men
- in a/the ~
- standing in the second rank The soldiers marched in three ranks of ten
PHRASES
- break ranks (= to leave a line of soldiers, police, etc.)
- The police broke ranks and started hitting people with their batons
- rank on/upon rank (of sth)
- Rank upon rank of caravans filled the field
VERB + RANK
- be admitted into/to, enter, join, swell
- Each month thousands more swell the ranks of the unemployed
- serve in
- They had served in the ranks of the Sultan's army
- come up from/through, rise from/through
- He came up through the ranks to become a general
PREP
- among/within the ~s of
- There is much disaffection among the ranks of the party
- beyond/outside the ~s
- The group has little influence over those outside its own ranks
- in the ~s
- There are few women in the highest ranks of the organization