The Clue
They're often closed in an emergency (5 letter answer)
The Answer
RANKS
Tags
Notes
The answer RANKS is seen occasionally, appearing about once every 750 puzzles.
Related Clues
An army
Classes
Grades
Rows
Admiral and others
Enlisted personnel
Gives a rating
Lines of hoplites
Officers' command
Puts in order
Chessboards' horizontal rows
Major and captain, e.g.
Puts first or second, say
They may be closed
They may be broken in the military
Definition
RANK as a noun:
1. a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another; "the entrance was guarded by ranks of policemen"
2. relative status; "his salary was determined by his rank and seniority"
3. (rank and file, rank) = the ordinary members of an organization (such as the enlisted soldiers of an army); "the strike was supported by the union rank and file"; "he rose from the ranks to become a colonel"
4. (social station, social status, social rank, rank) = position in a social hierarchy; "the British are more aware of social status than Americans are"
5. (membership, rank) = the body of members of an organization or group; "they polled their membership"; "they found dissension in their own ranks"; "he joined the ranks of the unemployed"
RANK as a verb:
1. take or have a position relative to others; "This painting ranks among the best in the Western World"
2. (rate, rank, range, order, grade, place) = assign a rank or rating to; "how would you rank these students?"; "The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide"
3. (rank, outrank) = take precedence or surpass others in rank