# food chain

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/food-chain
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A hierarchy.

## Examples

- He is at the bottom of the office food chain.
- After years of hard work, she finally moved up the food chain to a management position.
- The ambitious intern realized that to succeed in this competitive firm, he had to navigate the complex food chain of corporate politics.

## Origin

From food + chain.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.