They may be broken in the military

Usage examples of ranks.

One of the line soldiers — was it Clodius Afer again, watching the ranks quick-step past — muttered, "Wonder how he'll ride with a spear up his bum?

The legionaries closest to the tribune, three ranks ahead of him and as many behind, clanked and rattled to a halt.

He strode between files, the alignment perpendicular to the legion's front, pausing as each man of the century dressed ranks by rotating one of his javelins sideways and horizontal.

That gave them a frontage of almost a mile, a considerable advantage in keeping the enemy from swarming around both flanks — but it provided no margin for error, either on the flanks or in case an attack penetrated the thin six ranks into which the troops were stretched.

Then the whole legion broke into a run as the right arms of the two leading ranks cocked back, preparing to hurl the lighter of the pair of javelins each legionary carried.

Many of the warriors were trying to tug the javelins clear when the second flight, from the third and fourth ranks of the legion, hit them.

The slight decline from the opposite side of the valley had given the rear ranks an almost theatrical view of the start of the battle.

He struggled through the ranks, bumping and once pushing aside the troops who were doing their best to keep their order: the only task they were called on to perform at this moment.

Then the rearmost ranks of legionaries launched the javelins most of them still carried, arching them well beyond the line of hand to hand combat.

This room was high from the center to the ceiling because of the way the ranks of couches sloped downward.

That would be a pleasure, because there was very little fraternization across the ranks when the legion was in the field — and they had been in the field an unexpected three months already, with victory more distant every day that brought no beneficial change .

The ranks of men striding forward fell into silhouette as each left the gallery and the ship besides.

Why couldn't all the ranks step off together, keeping the separation they had while standing at ease?

Hobnails sparked on it as the legion tramped along in a column only six ranks wide.

Bronze ranks of legionaries, their plumes and javelin points trembling, interrupted Vibulenus' view of the figure in the blue suit who was probably watching the Tenth Cohort in nervous anticipation.