scale 1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈskāl How to pronounce scale (audio)
Definition of scalenext
as in balance
a device for measuring weight I hate getting on the bathroom scale

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Relevance

scale

2 of 4

noun (2)

as in plate
a small thin piece of material that resembles an animal scale scales of mica were embedded in the granite

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scale

3 of 4

noun (3)

1
as in hierarchy
a scheme of rank or order a student who scored very highly on a standard intelligence scale

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2
as in spectrum
the distance or extent between possible extremes with the scale going from one to ten, what did you think of the movie?

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scale

4 of 4

verb

as in to measure
to find out the size, extent, or amount of scaled the logs to get a rough idea of the amount of usable lumber they were likely to yield

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of scale
Noun
This bifurcated software environment is unfair not only to patients but also to medical device manufacturers, who are subject to regulations and review timelines that prevent them from innovating at the same pace and scale. — Dana P. Goldman, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026 Preparing for a journey of that scale meant learning an entirely new way to travel. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
The company says future plants could scale to between 350 and 500 megawatts, potentially allowing the technology to move from a demonstration facility to larger commercial power generation. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026 After desecrating the statue, the vandal returns the hammer to his pocket, scales the fence and flees into the night, the footage shows. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scale
  1. balance
  2. plate
  3. hierarchy
  4. spectrum
  5. measure
  6. ladder
  7. range
  8. gauge
Noun
  • Finding that balance, Amin said, looks different for every family.
    — Tara Duncan, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • But falling labor force participation nonetheless adds to a picture of an American labor economy seemingly out of balance with few solutions in sight.
    — Sarah Jackson Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of balance
Noun
  • Caminero has also demonstrated improved plate discipline in 2026, earning praise from manager Kevin Cash for his selective approach.
    — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The menu leans Mediterranean, with small plates and cocktails to tide you over in between meals.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of plate
Noun
  • When half of the crowd are members of other bands on the bill, dancing alongside fans, little room is left for hierarchy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Leo met with six abuse survivors during his recent trip to Spain, where the Catholic hierarchy has only recently begun reckoning with its legacy of abuse and cover-up after long dismissing the severity of the scandal.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of hierarchy
Noun
  • On the other end of the spectrum, content syndication has a long tradition at the center of every stage of the electronic media business.
    — Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In contrast, fast-spectrum reactors operate without water moderators.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of spectrum
Verb
  • The team deployed two high-altitude balloons with light sensors and 31 weather balloons to measure temperature, pressure, wind speed and humidity.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Everything the team knows about how fast the plasma is actually moving comes from the simulations rather than from the telescope, and the magnetic field driving the whole thing has never been measured directly at this scale.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of measure
Noun
  • While the video showcases the robot’s apparent ladder-climbing capability, Figure has not disclosed technical details about the underlying system, and the demonstration has not been independently verified.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Green outlasted Lash Legend, Jade Cargill, Charlotte Flair, Tiffany Stratton and a beatdown from Michin and B-Fab to climb the ladder and capture the Interim WWE Women’s Championship.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of ladder
Noun
  • Russia has fired the Oreshnik missile, an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon, on a handful of occasions against Ukraine in strikes viewed as signalling Moscow’s willingness to escalate.
    — Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, music supervisor Thomas Golubić assembled a range of possible tracks and let the sequence reveal itself in the edit.
    — Deadline, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of range
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the older adults’ confidence dropped, aligning with previous research showing that older adults are generally better able to gauge their ability to perform complex tasks.
    — C. Michael White, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Swaddle said the aim of the consultation was to gauge public opinion, which the council will consider in detail.
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of gauge

Browse Nearby Words

scalds
scale
scaled
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Cite this Entry

“Scale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scale. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on scale

Nglish: Translation of scale for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scale

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