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
Getting value at scale requires the right operational foundation—the governance, processes and expectations that allow teams to use AI securely, consistently and effectively in their everyday work. — Joel Burleson-Davis, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Instead, as would later happen in Kansas and Nebraska, slaveowners and Southern sympathizers on the one hand and abolitionists and Free-Soilers on the other all flocked to California to try to tip the political scales in their favor. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Verb
Factory scales up gun production Rheinmetall equipped the 11,500-square-meter facility in just eight months, turning an empty building into an operational manufacturing site. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026 Celligence says the funding will help scale AngelAi’s technology, expand its reach, and bring the platform to more consumers and financial professionals. — Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 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
  • The contract bars balance-billing patients beyond insured rates and limits annual adjustments to South Region medical and transportation inflation markers.
    — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Interest and fees increase the loan balance, reducing equity available for future needs.
    — Liz Weston, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of balance
Noun
  • China is no stranger to powerful quakes, especially in southwestern parts of the country where the Eurasian tectonic plate meets the Indian plate, a dramatic collision that creates the mighty Himalayas and the vast Tibetan plateau.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Science loves to eat its words like a plate of healthy vegetables, after all.
    — Mike McRae October 21, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of plate
Noun
  • For centuries, Bordeaux sat atop the wine world’s hierarchy, and knowledge of its wines was virtually synonymous with oenophilia.
    — Jay McInerney, Air Mail, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The Argentina defender called out United's hierarchy over its offseason recruitment, with director of football Jason Wilcox the apparent target of his criticism.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of hierarchy
Noun
  • Brian Romero, a DSA member and incoming state assemblymember who has worked with the chapter’s tech working group in the past, framed the debate as a complex, fast-moving issue that factions across the political spectrum are having.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Cranberry & Jalapeño Chicken Meatballs TJ’s has a whole flavor spectrum of these spongy, scrotal meatballs.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of spectrum
Verb
  • When a general purpose technology arrives, companies pour money into complementary intangible investments that national accounts do not measure.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Even some creators being paid to love their estrogen creams are fairly measured when reporting their results, which include less reactivity and more hydration.
    — Ashley Abramson, Allure, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of measure
Noun
  • Today’s Four Questions interviewee is Statesboro head coach Matt Dobson, whose Blue Devils defeated Evans 36-35 with a final-minute hook-and-ladder play on second down from the Evans 47.
    — McClain Baxley for the AJC, AJC.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Before Rover, success meant getting promotions, landing bigger clients and climbing the corporate ladder.
    — Sally Simmons, Contributor, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of ladder
Noun
  • The test also addressed the system’s maximum-range requirement.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • At times, Zukenee’s chameleonic range and ironic language can feel like a shrewd substitute for vulnerability.
    — Narsimha Gour Chintaluri, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of range
Verb
  • Whether the fine prompted the company to change its ways is hard to gauge.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Reporters typically wait outside football facilities to speak with players and gauge their reactions after a head coach is fired.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on scale

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scale

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All