tip the scales

phrase

1
: to register weight
tips the scales at 285 pounds
2
: to shift the balance of power or influence
… tipped the scales in favor of a declaration of war …—S. F. Bemis

Examples of tip the scales in a Sentence

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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.
The extreme power users definitely tipped the scales, as just two percent of them in the fiction category were responsible for more than 80 percent of the conversations. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 8 July 2026 Perhaps the biggest satellite riding the Falcon 9 on Tuesday was CAS500-4, a South Korean Earth-observation craft that tips the scales at about 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms). — Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 July 2026 Other groups working on rangeland management say the regulations go too far in the opposite direction, tipping the scales toward ranchers. — Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 7 July 2026

Rhymes for tip the scales

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Browse Nearby Words

tip the balance
tip the scales
tip the scales at
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Cite this Entry

“Tip the scales.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tip%20the%20scales. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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