top-down

adjective

ˈtäp-ˈdau̇n 

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

Others commit to the full 16-mile top-down trek, a full-day odyssey through some of the most sublime terrain in the Southwest (note: this journey requires a permit). —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2025

Executives don’t need to manage access requests or write policies, but privacy risk now stems directly from top-down business decisions that shape their company's regulatory exposure, customer expectations and commercial viability. —Jodi Daniels, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025

Influencers Are the Funnel Forget about top-down campaigns where influencers show up at the end to amplify a brand message. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025

Peer-to-peer recognition programs amplify the impact of traditional top-down approaches. —Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from the phrase from the top down

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for top-down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown