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
But this is completely top-down.
—
Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
To include more staff members in the process of developing AI tools, some institutions have implemented a bottom-up approach in addition to a top-down approach.
—Hilke Schellmann, Scientific American, 17 Feb. 2026
These micro-feedback loops are often more effective than top-down communications during periods of rapid change.
—Keith Ferrazzi, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
This top-down initiative aimed to alleviate the poor nutrition of some of the most vulnerable Americans.
—Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for top-down
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Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
To include more staff members in the process of developing AI tools, some institutions have implemented a bottom-up approach in addition to a top-down approach.
—Hilke Schellmann, Scientific American, 17 Feb. 2026
These micro-feedback loops are often more effective than top-down communications during periods of rapid change.
—Keith Ferrazzi, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
This top-down initiative aimed to alleviate the poor nutrition of some of the most vulnerable Americans.
—Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 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 24 Feb. 2026.
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