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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • Howe had informed the Newcastle hierarchy of his desire to step away shortly after pre-season began but offered to remain in his role while the club sought to find a new head coach.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • Nonetheless, Etna and his fellow creatures understand their subordinate position in the hierarchy.
    — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of hierarchy
Noun
  • Human eyes don’t register the infrared portion of the light spectrum because infrared photons don’t carry enough energy to trigger the signaling pathway inside our light-sensing cells.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
  • Trump’s spectrum of threats, for example, prompted Tehran to see the war in existential terms and maximally fight back.
    — Erik Lin-Greenberg, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2026
Definition of spectrum
Verb
  • If the answer swings on how the question was phrased, the model is not measuring anything about the match.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In its simplest form, scientists can put a chunk of soil in a mason jar, measure how much gas is released over time, then extrapolate a total figure.
    — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 31 July 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
  • Preparation included meetings with Jewish community leaders in New York to gauge their feelings, the museum said, confirming a report in The New York Times.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman all but confirmed Wednesday that the team would be in contact with the Tigers to gauge their asking price for reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of gauge

Browse Nearby Words

scalds
scale
scaled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on scale

Nglish: Translation of scale for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scale

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All