sliding scale
noun
1
: a wage scale geared to the selling price of the product or to the consumer price index but usually guaranteeing a minimum below which the wage will not fall
2
a
: a system for raising or lowering tariffs in accord with price changes
b
: a flexible scale (as of fees or subsidies) adjusted to the needs or income of individuals
the sliding scale of medical fees
Examples of sliding scale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Apple Music introduced fraud penalties back in 2022, where along with demonetizing the illegitimate streams themselves, the company employed a sliding scale of fining fraudsters a fee calculated on what would’ve been royalties.
—
Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
Moreover, California already taxes incomes on a sliding scale with the highest rates on those with the highest incomes, so shouldn’t a wealth tax be imposed using the same rationale?
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Some are employed by credit unions or the military, and others offer a sliding scale.
—Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
What Evans, Olié and their collaborators further developed was a way to visually and physically show those power dynamics – a sort of sliding scale – that essentially puts the audience into each of those characters’ shoes whenever that character is played by an actor.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sliding scale
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Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
Moreover, California already taxes incomes on a sliding scale with the highest rates on those with the highest incomes, so shouldn’t a wealth tax be imposed using the same rationale?
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Some are employed by credit unions or the military, and others offer a sliding scale.
—Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
What Evans, Olié and their collaborators further developed was a way to visually and physically show those power dynamics – a sort of sliding scale – that essentially puts the audience into each of those characters’ shoes whenever that character is played by an actor.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sliding scale
Cite this Entry
“Sliding scale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sliding%20scale. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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