top-down

adjective

ˈtäp-ˈdau̇n How to pronounce top-down (audio)
1
: controlled, directed, or instituted from the top level
a top-down corporate structure
2
: proceeding by breaking large general aspects (as of a problem) into smaller more detailed constituents : working from the general to the specific
top-down programming
top-down design

Examples of top-down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
What next for Lebanon With the absence of an internal Lebanese consensus, the arrival of any international peacekeeping force to replace the exiting UNIFIL will be perceived by many Lebanese as a top-down imposition. — Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026 The protests erupted after nearly a decade of Macronisme, the right-of-center, top-down governing style that President Emmanuel Macron of France incarnates. — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 Instead, we have been stonewalled by Cornell's increasingly top-down leadership. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 But the company recently settled a class action lawsuit that made public reams of evidence showing that Mazal Group is directly involved in store operations and sets top-down policies that impact shoppers. — Monika Evstatieva, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for top-down

Word History

Etymology

from the phrase from the top down

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of top-down was in 1930

Rhymes for top-down

See All Rhymes for top-down

Browse Nearby Words

top dollar
top-down
top drawer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Top-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-down. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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