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
So other people’s experiences were top-down, and not as collaborative?
—
E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
In contrast to the more top-down food aid approach to 20th century aid (think, for instance, of grain or vegetable oil shipments to developing countries), this new effort focuses on countries that are already taking the lead on their own programs.
—Reem Alabali Radovan, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Micro-feedback loops are far more effective than top-down messaging during rapid change.
—Keith Ferrazzi, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
In most cases, the effect is to flout any top-down insistence on reverence, a party line, or a unified myth.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for top-down
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E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
In contrast to the more top-down food aid approach to 20th century aid (think, for instance, of grain or vegetable oil shipments to developing countries), this new effort focuses on countries that are already taking the lead on their own programs.
—Reem Alabali Radovan, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Micro-feedback loops are far more effective than top-down messaging during rapid change.
—Keith Ferrazzi, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
In most cases, the effect is to flout any top-down insistence on reverence, a party line, or a unified myth.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 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 3 Feb. 2026.
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