The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word STATUSES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
T
A
T
U
S
E
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Ranks" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case ranks = statuses.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does STATUSES mean?
STATUSES noun- A person’s condition, position or standing relative to that of others.
- Prestige or high standing.
- A situation or state of affairs.
- The legal condition of a person or thing.
- (social networking) A function of some instant messaging applications, whereby a user may post a message that appears automatically to other users, if they attempt to make contact.
- Short for status epilepticus or status asthmaticus.