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
Their leadership demonstrates that real impact comes not from top-down mandates, but from empowering the people who know the problem best.
—
Nicole F. Roberts, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Later asked by Deadline how traditional entertainment companies could court the likes of Markiplier and Kane Parsons, Tewes opined that attempting a top-down approach with digital and YouTube creators would have the opposite effect and the correct path would be to offer distribution to their films.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 June 2026
But on the other, this top-down description only works in retrospect, after the film has already presented numerous scenes of Nawal trying to extract information through the exact same conversations about a dozen different times.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 8 June 2026
But beyond the doom and gloom, China’s soccer future may no longer depend solely on top-down ambition.
—Reagan Yip, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for top-down
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Nicole F. Roberts, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Later asked by Deadline how traditional entertainment companies could court the likes of Markiplier and Kane Parsons, Tewes opined that attempting a top-down approach with digital and YouTube creators would have the opposite effect and the correct path would be to offer distribution to their films.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 June 2026
But on the other, this top-down description only works in retrospect, after the film has already presented numerous scenes of Nawal trying to extract information through the exact same conversations about a dozen different times.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 8 June 2026
But beyond the doom and gloom, China’s soccer future may no longer depend solely on top-down ambition.
—Reagan Yip, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
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 14 Jun. 2026.
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