single figures

noun

chiefly US
: a number or percentage that is 9 or less
They won the game by single figures.
The state's unemployment rate is in the single figures.

Examples of single figures in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, California, for example, may pay up to 50 percent in taxes, while businesses setting up internationally in Dubai may only have to pay in single figures. Divakar Vijayasarathy, Forbes.com, 23 Mar. 2026 There was always a bag of balls in the boot of his car but often single figures in his bank account. Stuart James, New York Times, 29 June 2025 Wolf Hall director Peter Kosminsky said in his submission that there are 15 such shows across the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, with BBC insiders briefing that their number is in the single figures. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2025 The three large pictures of single figures in dark sylvan settings — one on each wall at Transformer’s tiny gallery space — are shadowy and partly illuminated by strange bluish light. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 The win is Medfield’s lone win within single figures this year. Matt Feld, Boston Herald, 17 Feb. 2024

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Single figures.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single%20figures. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!