scale down

Idioms and Phrases

Reduce the size or cost of, as in The owners decided to scale down wages . This expression, along with the related scale up , which refers to an increase, alludes to scale in the sense of “a fixed standard.” [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

So with the doors of late night closed to her, Slate had to scale down her ambitions to raise her profile.

From The Daily Beast

This allows for higher volumes and lets recyclers scale down their costs.

From The Daily Beast

There is no such thing as an exterior will outside the man's brain, to push one scale down with a finger.

From Project Gutenberg

If we begin this legislation by taking in all trades, we have got to scale down our schedule of compensation.

From Project Gutenberg

It was necessary to scale down the scanner's field to see the huge shape in its entirety.

From Project Gutenberg

It could not in law or equity "scale down" its deposits to make good any losses—a feature peculiar to the mutual institution.

From Project Gutenberg

But the eating and drinking must scale down to what I think is right.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• curtail
• cut
• cut down
• decrease
• depreciate
• devalue
• diminish
• downgrade
• knock off
• lessen
• pare
• slash
• soften