top-down
adjective
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
According to Vimeo, however, this was not a top-down problem.
—
Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 22 Dec. 2025
Just another way the business isn’t top-down anymore.
—Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 22 Dec. 2025
These projects seem less an effort to resuscitate the city’s ailing heart than a top-down affair intended to stoke nationalism, make the city profitable, and appeal to Western governments and elite investors.
—Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
The Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid suffer from similar flaws as top-down health reform initiatives that expand access at the cost of our system’s long-term viability.
—Kim-Lien Nguyen, Boston Herald, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for top-down
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.
Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 22 Dec. 2025
Just another way the business isn’t top-down anymore.
—Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 22 Dec. 2025
These projects seem less an effort to resuscitate the city’s ailing heart than a top-down affair intended to stoke nationalism, make the city profitable, and appeal to Western governments and elite investors.
—Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
The Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid suffer from similar flaws as top-down health reform initiatives that expand access at the cost of our system’s long-term viability.
—Kim-Lien Nguyen, Boston Herald, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for top-down
Cite this Entry
“Top-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-down. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share