as in balance
a device for measuring weight
I hate getting on the bathroom scale
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in hierarchy
a scheme of rank or order
a student who scored very highly on a standard intelligence scale
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Recent Examples of scale
Harry Bennett, Space.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Polish officials said Russia deliberately targeted NATO territory, pointing out the scale, at least 19 drones, was the largest incursion by far since the war started.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 11 Sep. 2025
Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
While effective in laboratories, nanocrystal production is costly and difficult to scale.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scale
Noun
The Bortle scale is a numerical scale that ranges from one to nine, with one being an excellent dark sky site with no light pollution and nine being an area with considerable light pollution and many night sky objects invisible to the naked eye.
—Harry Bennett, Space.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Polish officials said Russia deliberately targeted NATO territory, pointing out the scale, at least 19 drones, was the largest incursion by far since the war started.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
However, the partnership has reportedly become strained as both companies scale their AI ambitions.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
While effective in laboratories, nanocrystal production is costly and difficult to scale.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scale
Verb
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First, researchers measured high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in 12,530 healthy American women with none of the classic SMuRFs—hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
9 Sep. 2025
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In addition to measuring students' academic achievement, NAEP also surveys things like students' comfort level with certain subjects and their attendance.—
Sequoia Carrillo,
NPR,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While this is no longer an issue, the unemployment rate falling over the past year highlights how shifts in immigration can impact the metrics commonly used to gauge labor market health.—
Jeffrey Schulze,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Having escaped disaster and gauged the full extent of American self-deterrence, Putin began putting pressure on Ukraine’s neighbors and suppliers.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scale. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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