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Synonyms

scale down

Idioms  

  1. 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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Soaring costs are already forcing industries to scale down their energy consumption, a process known as demand destruction, where businesses and consumers are forced to cut back to balance the massive supply shortfall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

US officials said that the direct-to-consumer channel will see costs of injectable GLP-1s start at an average of $350 per month, and that this should scale down over time.

From Barron's • Nov. 6, 2025

It’s still unclear why Tesla Diner decided to scale down its menu within such a short period of time.

From Salon • Aug. 18, 2025

Many say they'll be forced to scale down further if the issue isn't addressed.

From BBC • May 5, 2025

Alexander had drawn a map of the nursery, tinted with watercolors and oriented according to the compass, with all the furniture drawn to scale, down to the last footstool.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.